John Fowler: British Interior Decorator for Royals and Historic Landmarks

John Fowler (1906–1977) was a British interior decorator. He was known for his elegant and sophisticated style and worked on many high-profile projects, including the Queen’s private apartments at Buckingham Palace.

Biography

John Fowler learned how to decorate at the London firm of Thornton Smith and then at the decoration studio of Peter Jones in the 1920s and 1930s. There, he learned how to do things like hand-paint Chinoiserie wallpaper. In 1934, he opened his studio.  (1940s Sibyl Colefax & John Fowler, 2017) 

Business with Sybil Colefax

In 1938, he went into business with Sybil Colefax. Instead, he rarely produced his designs, taking pieces from the 18th and 19th centuries. He studied draperies in books by French baroque designer Daniel Marot. Before Sibyl Colefax asked him to join her, he had been working under his name on the King’s Road for a few years. Lady Colefax’s business helped John Fowler meet the people he needed, and the two worked well together.

Sibyl Colefax & John Fowler Ltd. moved its business to 39 Brook Street in 1944. (Once the home and office of distinguished early 19th-century architect Sir Jeffry Wyatville.) John Fowler wrote in his diary on the day the new store opened, “Lovely day and lots of people. Good sales.”

During World War II, he designed the home of actor Michael Redgrave, where he used parachute silk for the curtains. He also designed the Duchess of Hamilton’s blue-and-white chintz bedroom and Queen Elizabeth II’s Buckingham Palace audience room.

Post War Britain

In post-war Britain, when money was tight, his ability to make fancy rooms on a relatively small budget became a skill people wanted. In Britain, the time after the war was a time of austerity and rebuilding, focusing on making useful and practical things. However, there was still a desire for beauty and elegance, which made the skill of creating luxurious spaces on a budget highly valued.

In 1946, Mrs Ronald Tree (later known as Nancy Lancaster), an American living abroad, bought Colefax and Fowler (Fowler himself never owned any part of the business). Old Rose was, and still is, Fowler’s most popular pattern for chintz. He made patterns like Berkeley Sprig, now the logo for Colefax and Fowler, with borders made of dyed tape. Nancy Lancaster’s fabric prints, intentionally faded by putting furniture in bright sunlight and dying with tea, influenced his Chintz designs. Fowler also came up with the idea of putting silk bows on the tops of picture-hanging cords at the cornice.

Fowler’s Style

Fowler’s sense of style and scholarly eye were why the company kept doing well and got a reputation for making beautiful drapes and comfortable seating arrangements. A feeling of elegant ease grew. Later, he worked for the National Trust to keep Britain’s most important historic homes in good shape. Some of the most important houses he worked on were Clandon Park, Lyme Park, Sudbury Hall, Claydon House, and Uppark House. John Fowler’s friend, the late Duchess of Devonshire, called him “the prince of decorators” because of how good he was at his job. This nickname stuck.

Recognition

He was made a Commander of the Order of the British Empire in 1973, and he retired in 1975. However, he had been advising the National Trust since the 1950s, and he continued to do so. He worked on at least 30 National Trust properties, such as Erddig, Sudbury Hall, and Clandon Park. His skills in conservation and restoration made him a valuable asset to the National Trust, and his work helped keep some of the UK’s most historic landmarks around for future generations to enjoy. His legacy continues to inspire and inform the work of conservationists today.

Sources

1940s Sibyl Colefax & John Fowler. (2017, October 28). Sibyl Colefax & John Fowler. Retrieved March 20, 2023, from https://www.sibylcolefax.com/our-history/1940s/

Byars, M., & Riley, T. (2004). The design encyclopedia. Laurence King Publishing. https://amzn.to/3ElmSlL

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