Kitchen Life

"Much as I love it, I never wanted simply to reproduce old Spongeware- because I knew that I had laid hold on a technique that offered so much more than mere prettiness. It was obvious to me, from the earliest days of EB, that the bold simplicity of sponge- printing could be used to tell more relevant and engaging stories. Of Dog Shows, of Open Gardens with homemade teas!
Or of a spontaneous trip to the beach for a freezing cold dip in the sea and fish and chips in the rain…

Or indeed of the small pleasures and chores of domestic life such as pots of geraniums grown from cuttings, or doing the ironing whilst watching Friends on a loop!

Some of my favourite designs from the early years use domestic iconography in pleasing and slightly startling ways- for example the Brown Kitchen textile print was taken up by interior designers at the time, for its unusual dogged UNcuteness.

This new iteration brings back happy memories of Aga Saga, Tea, Coffee, Utensils and other patterns such as A Present for A Good Boy, which featured a frying pan and sausages… With intention to make you smile in recognition and affection this year we have incorporated some new elements- for example whose kitchen does not include specialised coffee making gear these days?! I’m not a huge fan of kitchen gadgets, so I use a filter to make a delicious pour over cup or pot of coffee: we will show you many irresistible little coffee mugs!! "

- Emma Bridgewater