Chintz has had a bit of PR problem at times. Once, it was the height of fashion: richly printed cotton from India, covered in flowers and glossy colour, imported to Europe and prized precisely because it was so vivid and alive. Then, somewhere along the way, the word widened and curdled, becoming shorthand for anything fussy, floral, over-decorated and typically belonging to crones. Ikea, in its great crusade for clean lines and Scandi principles, more or less banished the chintz, and for a while we all nodded along.
But design cannot live on beige alone. It needs memory, ornament, romance and eccentricity. To retain these designs, and keep pulling from them, is not nostalgia for nostalgia’s sake; it is a way of keeping richness, history and a bit of decorative courage alive. Figures like Wojtek van Portek, who devote their time to ensuring that chintz, antiques, colour and pattern remain part of his life and, happily, ours, are part of the reason that richness endures.
ABOUT WHERE HIS LOVE OF ANTIQUES AND PATTERN COMES FROM
I’d say it’s a combination of many factors. One being growing up in my grandparents household that had an incredible story and was filled with fin de siècle objects and some German cupboards, all of which remind me of quality and nostalgia linked to the cosiness of time spent there. Today, hoping onto Eurostar to Paris several times a year keeps me connected with that pattern.
ABOUT NEW AND OLD LIVING TOGETHER
I have strong dislike for catalogue style houses and interiors. How we fill our home reflects on our individuality and character —not what’s instagrammable. Where’s the authenticity otherwise? I have a few usual spots where I source pieces, but what I do like the most is finding things in unexpected places. Setting intention is something I practice and it worked wonders, like manifestation. Suddenly the object I dreamt about becomes available in a most unexpected way. It’s such a rewarding feeling when this happens!
WOJTEK VAN PORTEK: ABOUT THE BOOKS HE CAN'T LIVE WITHOUT
The most difficult question. Books are treasures and offer so much so to narrow down to a selection of just few is a torture! Le Corbusier le Grand is one of those albums that keeps inspiring me, it has done for years now. Works by literary legends like Anaïs Nin, Joan Didion or Georgia O’keefe at Ghost Ranch also play a strong influence in my daily life.
ABOUT THE ONE PIECE HE WOULD SAVE
My Birkin (stuffed with my grandmothers recipe notes). Which is lucky really, as Wojtek's debut book, Wojtek’s Bistro - Recipes from a Polish Kitchen is a book born from her notes, culinary talents and features just a few of the most charming pieces he has collected over time.
It is available for pre-order from 30th April, releasing September 10th and available on Salon.