Viva Rose Cumming Chintzes!

In 2019, two iconic fabric lines were on the verge of extinction… Rose Cumming Chintzes and Classic Cloth.  After the former manufacturer filed for bankruptcy, Lauren Hudson saved the two brands from falling into obscurity and is on a mission preserve the storied textiles and introduce them to a new generation of designers. Hudson is an interior designer and founder of The Wells Companies.

“With Rose Cumming, I’m taking it back to its roots,” Hudson told Business of Home. “Those chintzes are special, and the archive we have taken possession of is beautiful. There are some fabrics in that archive I can’t wait to get my hands on. If they’re recolored or rescaled—there’s enough that’s not out there right now to keep us busy for several years.”

Rose Cumming Chintzes fabrics have long been celebrated and employed by A-list decorators including Tom Britt, Michael Smith, Richard Keith Langham, and Mario Buatta. Cumming’s great-niece Sarah Cumming Cecil, President and Principal Designer at the Rose Cumming interior design firm says, “My great-aunt, the legendary Rose Cumming, began decorating in 1917 and producing her iconic fabrics and wallpapers soon thereafter. We are delighted that The Wells Companies will be relaunching this uniquely beautiful line for those who have always loved it and for generations to come.”

Rose Cumming arrived in New York from Australia in 1917 with her sister, a silent-screen actress. Cumming quickly became the toast of the town, recognized for her unique talent and unparalleled sense of color. She was one of the “Great Lady Decorators” who invented the field of professional decorating and interior design in the early twentieth century.  Cumming opened a retail shop for antiques and fabrics on the Upper East Side, which also served as her decorating office. She put her best furniture in the window of the shop left the lights on at night, which nobody had ever done. The shop became a destination for celebrities such as the Duke and Duchess of Windsor, Babe Paley, Andy Warhol, Rudolph Nureyev, and Jacqueline Onasis. Glamorous movies stars such as Marlene Deitrich, Norma Shearer, and Mary Pickford were among her star-studded client roster.

Known for her flair of mixing bold patterns and colors, Cumming also invented metallic wallpaper, which allowed her rooms to glow. Her rooms were sumptuous with glittering chandeliers, oriental birdcages, and fine carpets, along with a of mix styles including Gothic, Venetian, Australian Baroque, eighteenth-century Continental, and Chinoiserie. Flamboyant and eccentric, Cummings also incorporated surrealism and drama with a dash of the eclectic and bizarre. She died in 1968, but the name Rose Cumming remains synonymous with style, wit, and beauty. And thanks to Lauren Hudson, her exquisite and iconic chintzes will continue to be enjoyed by future generations!

Classic Cloth and Rose Cumming Chintzes are found in some of the best showrooms across the country and beyond, including Ainsworth-Noah in Atlanta, Wells Abbott in Texas, Jasper Showroom in Los Angeles, and Tissus d’Helene in London. In addition, all designs are on the newly launched websites: wellstextiles.com, rosecumming.com, and classiccloth.com. Ongoing news and inspiration can be found via Instagram @rosecummingchintzes. And for further reading, I highly recommend the book Rose Cumming Design Inspiration and The Great Lady Decorators.