Kaffe Fassett

Abundance is a lovely word and one that lends itself to descriptions of Kaffe Fassett’s London home. Exuberance follows close on its heels, as this is a space where colours, textures and techniques join forces to create a virtuoso display of creativity. In this interior the enthusiasm for pattern and colour is tangible – in the form of hundreds of paintings, pots and textiles – and contagious. Artfully arranged collections draw you in: a shelf of vegetable-shaped ceramics raises a smile and lets you know that this is a place where beauty is enjoyed and interacted with on a daily basis. Nothing is behind glass or in cabinets. Without pausing to reflect you might begin to use phrases such as ‘a riot of colour’ – but wait. Yes, this is a house like no other, objects are gathered on a larger scale than usual – why have three needlepoint cushions when you can have thirty-five? (The answer might be that abundant means ‘full to overflowing’.) Nevertheless there is a peaceful centre to the profusion and it is Kaffe himself. A man who expresses himself in measured tones and has a patient, thoughtful air. It doesn’t quite make sense. A glance through his new autobiography shows that this is a man who, in design terms, hit the ground running and has never stopped. Really he should be charging around, issuing orders and trying to balance the five or six projects he has on the go. Instead, the day we visit he is at his easel taking five minutes to finalise a new design... This is an extract from Beth Smith's article in the Etiquette issue of Selvedge. Kaffe Fassett has recently received an Honorary Doctorate from the University of Huddersfield for services to textile design and craft.