A brand-new designer lampshade collection, bringing previously unreleased heritage prints to light - literally.
We’ve been snooping around in the GP & J Baker archive again, which just happens to be the largest privately owned textile archive in the world. Among the Chinese wallpapers, Italian velvets, Peruvian tunics, and Indian prints, we stumbled across several patterns that had never been seen before. Not once. How lucky we are to have gotten our hands on them!
Too good to stay hidden, these treasures are now reborn as a capsule of patterned lampshades bringing historic textile designs back to life in glorious technicolour.
A treasure trove of heritage prints
A quick refresher: founded in the 1800s by two Victorian brothers, George Perl and James Baker, GP & J Baker was built on a love of the rare, the remarkable and the downright beautiful.
They imported Persian carpets, collected unusual prints, and basically hoarded beautiful things from all over the globe. George even dabbled in horticulture, with English garden flowers blooming across many of their fabrics. Their impeccable eye for beauty eventually earned them a Royal Warrant from Queen Elizabeth II in 1982, one that King Charles III still holds today. Very posh.
Over the past 140 years, GP & J Baker has amassed over 100 vast volumes stuffed with thousands of samples from the 18th and 19th centuries. It’s not just an archive, it’s basically a library of beauty, and what makes it magical is its eclecticism. From delicate florals to bold ikats, from abstract geometrics to aristocratic silks, the designs are gloriously varied yet utterly timeless.
Read more about the archive here.
From Magnolia to ikat: then and now
Our first collaboration with GP & J Baker was a smash hit. It was all about the classics. Think Magnolia and traditional florals, the kind of heritage lampshades you instantly recognise. But this time? We’ve gone deeper. Volume Two unearths the hidden gems: ikat-inspired lampshades, smaller abstracts, rhythmic geometrics, and designs that have literally never seen the light of day until now.
Modern lampshades with history at their core
Naturally, we’ve put the Pooky stamp on them. These historic patterns have been given playful new colourways - vintage tones that have been refreshed and modernised. The result is statement lampshades that honour the past but feel perfectly at home in interiors today, from Hackney townhouses to Harrogate cottages.
Meet the collection: heritage, reimagined
Dotty - A refined spot print based on an 1810 waistcoat fabric. Heritage menswear, meet statement lampshade.
Tuffley - A swirling, seaweed-inspired design from the mid-1800s, originally created for dress textiles. A touch of underwater chic.
Zaraband - Aristocratic Central Asian silks reimagined for the home. Decadent, exotic, and gloriously glamorous.
Bokhara - With roots in the ancient Silk Road, this rhythmic print now sings in vivid contemporary hues.
Between the four patterns, and their multiple colourways, there’s genuinely something for everyone: refined, rhythmic, bold, or playful.
Ann Grafton, Creative Director at GP & J Baker, concludes: “Partnering with Pooky has been such an exciting way to give our classic archive designs a fresh twist. We’ve mixed some of our much-loved prints, which have been around for over a hundred years, with Pooky’s playful, modern style. The result is a collection that nods to our heritage while showing how timeless designs can still feel completely new and relevant today.”
Or, in Pooky-speak: glorious old prints, reborn as joyful new shades, ready to bring unearthed history into your home.
Pooky’s Chief Creative Officer, Jo Plant, comments: “It was a real privilege to visit GP & J Baker’s archive once more, and to explore designs that had never before seen the light of day. This collection feels particularly special - shining a light on the hidden gems of their heritage.”
Everyone in the Pooky production team has a different favourite, but we were collectively so enamoured with the Bokhara print that we introduced a completely new shape to suitably show it off. Gathered, tapered drums show this beautiful ikat print in all its glory. Each of the Tuffley small prints is designed to complement the Bokhara colourways.
Our team had so much fun bringing them to life the Pooky way, with joyful colours and bold trims. We are excited to see how customers respond.
Shop the collection now.
