Make Your Home a Work of Art with the Scalamandré x Met Collaboration
It’s not every day that a 16th-century suit of armor makes its way into a new design, but now, the influence of those fantastic garments—and other notable pieces from the Metropolitan Museum of Art—have been restructured into opulent wallcoverings, trimmings and fabrics that are relevant to the designs of today.
Two of the most illustrious institutions in American history—The Met and Scalamandré —have joined forces for this brand-new collection. The museum granted the renowned textile house full access to its extensive inventory of art and objects, including its archives, to influence the design of luxury finishes with one-of-a-kind textures and detailing. The collection officially launched on October 1st.
“Just over two years ago, the Met licensing committee approached us to create a Metropolitan Museum collection, with the desire to expand their brand beyond the walls of their galleries,” Lorraine Lang, Scalamandré’s vice president of design, explains. “It was the perfect pairing of two iconic brands.”
Some of the most notable pieces in this collection take inspiration from the museum’s Department of Arms and Armour. Lang shares, “We began with the wallcoverings and were so awed by the Arms and Armor galleries. The four armor-clad mounted horses, in marching formation, make a very striking visual point. But it was the highly detailed engravings on the armor that spoke to us of the decorative possibilities.”
Rather than the bold, fun prints we’ve grown accustomed to from Scalamandré (like their iconic zebras), this select army of wallcoverings, trimmings and fabric study the juxtaposition between hard and soft, shiny and matte, and feminine and masculine. Metallic cork, embroidered linen, faux leather and polymer are all thoughtfully intertwined facets of the collection.
“We felt we wanted to capture this modern, urban effect by mimicking the patina of the metals,” Lang says. “My favorites of this group are the Milan Diamond wallcovering for its sunburst pattern and the Knight wallcovering for its patinated 3D effect.”
Another take on the armor collection is the embroidered designs of the Saxony Scroll Wallcoverings and the Saxony Embellished Trimming, which allude to the breastplate detailing of the “Foot-Combat Armor Of Prince-Elector Christian I Of Saxony” crafted by Anton Peffenhauser.
“We were able to take this inspiration into a softer more formal effect when we embroidered a backed linen fabric with the Saxony Scroll pattern, which is very much like a scrolled damask,” Lang shares.
The textile maker recommends adding these elements to a grand foyer or dining room for a stately feel.
This is not the first time that these two powerhouses have worked together. Scalamandré first worked with the Met in the 1970s, a notable decade for the textile brand. “Franco Scalamandre [the founder of the brand] had created a Scalamandre Museum with historic textiles on display. Several pieces were donated to the Metropolitan Museum of Art’s archives,” Lang shares.
The current collection is as extensive and global as the museum itself with colorful adaptation of the Tree of Life pattern from the museum’s Department of Asian Art, hand block printed wallpaper inspired by the Islamic art collection and elegantly embroidered tape derived from European sculpture and decorative arts.
To tour the collection for yourself, head to scalamandre.com.
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