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Reasons to be cheerful: a Josef Frank exhibition

— by Alyson Walsh

LONDON, ENGLAND - JANUARY 26: General view of exhibits in the show space during the "Josef Frank Patterns-Furniture-Painting" exhibition at the Fashion and Textile Museum on January 26, 2017 in London, England.. (Photo by Ian Gavan/Getty Images for Fashion and Textile Museum)

(Photo by Ian Gavan/Getty Images for Fashion and Textile Museum)

Walking into the Josef Frank exhibition at the Fashion & Textile Museum is an instant dopamine rush. A beautiful buzz. Like David Attenborough’s Planet Earth II, ‘It’s a form of two-way therapy.’ An escape from bitter temperatures and bonkers politics. Millions of viewers tuned into the BBC nature documentary last year and as the 90-year-old presenter explained, ‘We crave refuge from horror and uncertainty and for an hour on Wednesday evenings our oceans provide that sanctuary.’ Think I’ll book a season ticket to the museum’s Patterns-Furniture-Painting show, wrap myself in a length of leafy fabric, embrace the floral feelgood factor.

LONDON, ENGLAND - JANUARY 26: General view of exhibits in the show space during the "Josef Frank Patterns-Furniture-Painting" exhibition at the Fashion and Textile Museum on January 26, 2017 in London, England.. (Photo by Ian Gavan/Getty Images for Fashion and Textile Museum)

(Photo by Ian Gavan/Getty Images for Fashion and Textile Museum)

Inspired by nature, Josef Frank’s vibrant fabrics and wallpapers are decorated with flowers, plants, parrots and butterflies. The Austrian-born architect moved to Stockholm from Vienna during the Second World War where he began designing for the iconic interiors store Svenskt Tenn. On our last trip to Stockholm, we bought a tiny mid-century cushion cover designed by Frank (about the only thing we could afford) that proudly sits on the lime green sofa at That’s Not My Age Mansions.

LONDON, ENGLAND - JANUARY 26: General view of exhibits in the show space during the "Josef Frank Patterns-Furniture-Painting" exhibition at the Fashion and Textile Museum on January 26, 2017 in London, England.. (Photo by Ian Gavan/Getty Images for Fashion and Textile Museum)

Photo: Ian Gavan

Research has shown that spending time in nature (and I would suggest with amazing images of nature) is good for our mental health. And who doesn’t need cheering up, right now?

Josef Frank: Patterns-Furniture-Painting is on at the Fashion & Textile Museum from 28 Jan – 7 May 2017.

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Walking into the Josef Frank exhibition at the Fashion & Textile Museum is an instant dopamine rush. A beautiful buzz.