LLOYD LOOM

You know when you walk passed people who are talking and catch a tiny bit of their conversation?
I've always thought it was funny, as you usually get a random, surreal sounding, half of a sentence.

The last time it happened to me was at a recent vintage fair, and this is what I heard ...

"I'm SO over Lloyd Loom."

!!!!!

What a hilarious thing to hear!!
But then I thought, how can you be over Lloyd Loom??!
It's an iconic, vintage classic ... 


And only this week I picked up a gorgeous Lloyd Loom laundry basket, and not only that, it was a Lusty Lloyd Loom laundry basket!!

I love their famous greeny/blue colour, with that hint of gold around the edges.

 

Apparently there is actually a date stamp behind the logo, giving the month and the year it was produced. But it would mean damaging the little plaque to get at the date, which is a real shame, as I'm always slightly obsessive about knowing the date of a vintage item!

I guess as you see Lloyd Loom bits everywhere, it can be easy to take them for granted. But if you're an Art Deco fan, or just fancy getting a stylish bit of vintage into your home, then this is one of the easiest ways.


The company was formed back in 1917 by an American called Marshall B. Lloyd, who hit upon the idea of creating weaved chairs and furniture.
Four years later he sold the patent to the brilliantly named UK company, W. Lusty and Sons, hence the 'Lusty Lloyd Loom' moniker!

They absolutely rocketed from there on, and during their peak in the 1930s, their chairs, tables, cabinets etc, were everywhere in high class hotels, fashionable places, suburban homes, and even on a Zeppelin airship.

Unfortunately the whole factory was bombed out in 1940, destroying everything. They didn't resurface until 1951, and never really hit the high notes again.
Although from the 1990s onwards there has been a bit of a renaissance, and they are still being made to this day.

But the original bits are the best!



A few years ago I rescued this fine looking chair at a dump, thinking it was a Lloyd Loom chair.
But in fact it's actually a 'Sirrom' chair, probably dating to the 1950s.

It was cheekily made by Morris, Wilkinson & Co, who made almost identical chairs and furniture to the famous Lloyd Looms. Only a slight difference in the weave and not using a metal rod inside, gives the game away, and of course the different logo on the back.

It's been made of card, and has come off slightly, but you can make it out to be 'Sirrom'.

But I still love my chair, even if it's a little bashed on the cushion part.


So if you see a bit of Lloyd Loom lurking about, rescue it and treasure it!!!