Wool House at Somerset House

As I sit looking out at the miserable grey sky and snow coming down horizontally, almost blizzard like, I wish I could be sitting cosily in the ‘mammoth chair’ or in one of the rooms decorated completely using wool in the Wool House exhibition at Somerset House.

The exhibition was curated and styled by Arabella McNie for The Campaign for Wool. The campaign was launched in 2010 by Patron HRH The Prince of Wales to ‘unite the international textile industry to promote real wool as the superior natural and sustainable fibre for fashion, interiors and the built environment’ (exhibition leaflet).

On entering the expansive and impressive courtyard of Somerset House, we were greeted by an unusual sight for London – a small herd of sheep in a pen of fake grass, being fed on hay. The representative of the National Sheep Association who had brought them here, said they were shocked and disoriented when they came out of the van into the depths of a city, something they’ve probably never seen. But they soon settled in, and enjoyed being the centre of attention of the droves of tourists, visitors and passers-by, bemused by this snippet of countryside in the middle of the city.

At the outside entrance to the exhibition are two wool trees, and entering inside you are welcomed by a grand entrance of sculptures, art and furniture all made with wool, including a crochetdermy bear, hummingbird wallhanging, and wool cloud wall sculpture. As you follow the ‘house’ to the right, there is a succession of wool adorned rooms, each created by different stylists and designers. One of my favourites was interior designer Kit Kemp’s (MBE).

I also loved the curator Arabella McNie’s snug which had an ethnic feel reminiscent of far flung cultures and rich heritage. The most striking feature is the antique kelim from Turkey.

The ‘Natural Room’ by Josephine Ryan could have existed in the middle ages but also conjured up an image of isolated surroundings in a wild, isolated Scottish island setting. The use of old aran sweaters for upholstering the chairs, the piles of thick woven and knitted blankets and rugs as well as the neutral tones of browns and creams all contribute to conjuring up this feeling.

The rest of the rooms included a modern masculine study by Ashley Hicks, a nursery full of felt by Donna Wilson,a ‘modern room’ full of bold statement colours, felt sculptural furniture and wall pieces; and a ‘classic drawing room’ by Fox Linton Associates.

On the other side of the ‘house’, was a series of rooms displaying wool used in various iconic and timeless fashions such as the classic bespoke men’s suits of Saville Row, distinctive women’s wool fashion designers including  Vivienne Westwood.

The exhibition also included wool used in art. I loved the rich colours and textures of these felted wall pieces by fashion designer Claudy Jongstra. The process of creating these pieces is completely sustainable, from the rearing of the sheep to the dyeing using natural dyes.

There was also demonstrations of wool used in traditional crafts – spinning, knitting and weaving. Jason Collingwood was the weaver in residence for the exhibition and was weaving one his signature contemporary, abstract geometric rugs.

I was overwhelmed by the size, diversity and vibrancy of this exhibition and so pleased to see such a strong campaign for such an important material – wool with its endless amount of uses and qualities.