His shop is a hot destination on Kings Road in the heart of London’s trendy Chelsea district. But British designer William Yeoward is considered a style-maker on both sides of the Atlantic Ocean.
Yeoward’s antiques and designs – in fabric, crystal, china, furniture and home accessories – always seem fresh. Whether it’s color (often bold or unexpected combinations), pattern (familiar but edgy), texture, finish or form that make them special, his handcrafted pieces stand out in the design world.
Most of his fans in the United States are drawn to his elegant crystal and china. Many of his exquisite hand-cut vases, decanters and pieces of stemware are reproductions of 18th- and 19th-century pieces but look amazingly modern.
His fine English bone china is robust in pattern and palette compared with other traditional formal dinnerware. One collection of solids is offered in apple green, orange, magenta, lavender, powder blue and chocolate rimmed in gold, and costs $150 to $300 per plate.
Yeoward also has been producing furniture in the United Kingdom for 21 years. But only after his crystal took off – it’s available in more than 200 stores, including Neiman Marcus, Bergdorf Goodman, Bloomingdales and Saks – did he branch out with accessories such as lamps, rugs and linens for tables and beds.
“I’m very keen on thinking outside the box,” says the 48-year-old Yeoward, who is a model for his philosophy. On a recent visit to Chicago to introduce his book, “Perfect Tables: Tabletop Secrets, Settings and Centerpieces for Delicious Dining” (Cico Books, $29.95), he was impeccably dressed, but not at all in the attire one might expect of a high-end designer.
There was no dapper pinstriped suit, jaunty tie or pocket kerchief. Yeoward, a contributing editor to Elle Decor magazine, instead was happily attired in sporty chic, punctuated by black jeans, a striped shirt with a spot of orange, and lime velvet running shoes. For those who know him, the shoes are a signature.
The fabrics he designs are available through Designers Guild, a London-based company known for bold fabric and wallpaper collections. Yeoward’s textile palette includes unorthodox color combinations such as orange and taupe or raspberry and lavender that seem to eschew trends.
His patterns may feature what he calls “blowsy” (untidy) blooms such as cabbage roses in cut velvet on linen, chenille jacquards and cotton voiles. Inspiration ranges from the American Midwest to Provence to Thailand and Japan.
What distinguishes a Yeoward design is a little tweak, something unexpected, a reflection of his personal style. When dressing a table, for example, he might select a blue plaid blanket with cobalt glasses and, at every setting, purple anemones set in miniature glass butter pails doubling as bud vases.
“I don’t believe in reinventing the wheel,” he says, often drawing inspiration from the past. What he does particularly well, though, is seek out the best craftsmen to produce his designs. “Quality never dates,” he says.
