The 1951 Festival of Britain, focused on London’s Southbank, sparked a renewed passion for design nationwide. Despite post-war material rationing, designers showcased remarkable creativity and innovation. Visionaries like Ernest Race, Gordon Russell, and Robert Heritage transformed these constraints into a distinctive aesthetic for furniture and interiors. Today, British Mid-Century design continues to inspire and influence, resonating with a new generation. Its core principles—efficient material use, human-centred design, elegant and organic shapes, and combining technology with craftsmanship – remain strikingly relevant.
Launching in September, Southbank by Perrin & Rowe pays homage to the 1951 Festival designers, embracing their ideals to craft a unique brassware collection. This collection features perfect proportions and meticulous details inspired by iconic pieces from the era, truly capturing the essence of Mid-Century Modern design.
The kitchen is now recast as a living space. Designers are creating more decorative and personalised rooms, reflecting its position as the heart and soul of the home. Perrin & Rowe’s most distinctive tap designs are also its most successful. Its award-winning Armstrong tap, with its industrial style, has been a best-seller since its launch in 2020. The Southbank collection aims for similar success. Like all Perrin & Rowe brassware, the Southbank is made at its Midlands foundry before being assembled in Rainham, just 15 miles east of London’s Festival Hall, the heart of the famous exhibition.
The kitchen has evolved into a central living space, prompting designers to create more decorative and personalised environments that reflect its role as the heart of the home. Perrin & Rowe’s distinctive tap designs, particularly the award-winning Armstrong tap with its industrial style, have achieved significant success since its 2020 launch. The new Southbank collection aspires to similar acclaim. Crafted at Perrin & Rowe’s Midlands foundry and assembled in Rainham, just 15 miles from London’s Festival Hall -the centrepiece of the renowned exhibition – the Southbank collection embodies the brand’s commitment to quality and style.
The new collection will be comprehensive from launch, available in eight finishes: Chrome, Nickel, Pewter, English Bronze, 24-Carat Plated Gold, and unlacquered Polished, Satin, and Aged Brass. Alongside a bridge mixer and single lever mixer, options include instant hot taps and filtration taps, a mini tap that dispenses both steaming hot water and filtered cold, a Pot Filler – now de rigueur in all luxury kitchens -and a soap dispenser.
