Dainty white daisies drift across the light blue pleats of lampshades at London’s Liberty department store. A new collaboration between Liberty and Danish design brand HAY is bringing a flowery note to the HAY’s pleated lamp design.
More than just a store, Liberty, established in 1875, produces bold prints and teams with luxury designers to integrate them onto exclusive products. These whimsical prints are usually relegated to fashion and can be found on A.P.C. dresses, J.Crew button-downs, and Carhartt workwear. The partnership with HAY shifts Liberty’s focus to home decor, which is increasingly embracing prints as trends steer towards maximalism.
Designer Inga Sempé sits among her Matin lamps for HAY.
The Matin lamp, created by industrial designer Inga Sempé for HAY in 2019, is a table lamp with a hollow square base, long neck, and a wide, pleated lampshade. Its accordion pleats—Inga’s signature design detail—and its shallow depth make the lamps resemble the tiny drink umbrellas that top tropical cocktails. Since hitting the market, Matin became one of HAY’s best sellers, but has only been available with a steel base and with solid colored shades.
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- The five Liberty prints make the Matin lamps look ever more like cocktail umbrellas.
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- The Cherry Drop print
The HAY collaboration swaps silver for a brass, warmly pairing with the Liberty fabrics. The lamps are available in five prints: Mitsy with the daisies, rosy red Betsy Ann, Ros’s red poppies on a black background, Ed’s lemony tulips, and earth toned fruit for Cherry Drop.
“The first dress I bought for my daughter was made of Liberty fabric—it always brought me so much joy when I saw her wearing it,” said HAY co-founder Mette Hay. “I still have it today! It’s rare that you never tire of pattern, but that’s truly the case with Liberty prints: they never get old.”
Betsy Ann patterned lamps against a Mitsi wallpaper
The different fabrics dramatically alter the lamp’s character. Lighter patterns generate a subtle diffused light, and darker ones are directional, pushing illumination downwards. Can’t decide on which print to get? Luckily, the lampshades can also be purchased separately, giving the opportunity to swap out fabrics or put a fresh spin on the Matin already at home.
The Matin lamp’s new look appeared at the London Design Festival on September 1. On September 18 and 19, Liberty also presented “More than a Store,” featuring a panel discussion and immersive workshop led by designers in their global craft community.
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- The Mitsi pattern against Cherry Drop wallpaper
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- The Liberty collaboration swaps Matin’s steel for brass for a warmer look.
