That’s Not My Age

Clashing table linen from anart.cuirm

‘Our tables never look uptight,’ says Nancy Rhode co-founder of anart.cuirm. ‘We’re countering everything matchy-matchy and coordinated,’ adds her business partner Sarah Sheperd, ‘ We want to create a comfortable, relaxed atmosphere that’s convivial, unexpected and fun – we love an unruly table, who knows what might happen!’

We are having this conversation at an Artist’s Open Studios, earlier this summer. Mostly, I go to these things for a good old nosy around other people’s property – and on this occasion, I wasn’t disappointed. Held in a stunning mid-century house with beautiful interiors ( I later found out this was Sarah’s home), and a top-notch group of creatives, this was Open Studio-Snooping Nirvana.

The standout collection being the pair’s statement table linen. ‘ I’ve always liked a snazzy table,’ says Sarah, ‘and it felt like nobody was doing that.’

The friends-turned-business-partners have known each other for a long time, they met in 1998 at ante-natal classes. Both come from creative backgrounds: Nancy is a fashion stylist and consultant for numerous brands and designers including Dries Van Noten, and Sarah, a textiles alumni from Glasgow School of Art, has a background in interiors and ran her own trend consultancy business.

The idea for their table linen company evolved during the pandemic when they set up an Instagram account ‘for a bit of fun’ and started exploring pattern and print, going through their art books, researching artists and looking specifically for images containing dinner tables. ‘ It’s incredible the volume of artists and photographers for whom the table has been a source of inspiration!’ explains Nancy, ‘Henri Matisse, Pierre Boncompain, Ferdinand Leger, Mary Fedden, Milton Avery are some of the most inspirational due to colour and pattern.’

That’s not table-scaping

Now, about the company name: anart.cuirm ( pronounced an-art. ku-rum) is Gaelic. Both women descend from Scottish ancestry, and chose anart the Scottish Gaelic for cloth, and cuirm the Scottish Gaelic for feast, to represent their brand.

And, of course I asked the linen-lovers for their styling tips:

How to create an unruly table (advice from anart.cuirm):

Don’t overthink it or try too hard.

Have an assortment of linens and a mixture of plates and glassware, and then do your own thing.

Mix different textures and then add bowls and vases, items that are not necessarily for the table.

It’s all about hanging out with friends –  and obviously having some fantastic table linen so the table is pattern-filled and joyful!

And the good news is, if things get messy the linen ( actually a blend of linen and cotton, made from Belgian yarn; woven in the UK and printed at Glasgow’s Centre of Advanced Textiles) can be machine-washed at 30 degrees, ironed on the reverse and the colour stays true and bright.

Obviously, there are no rules for an unruly table. Take a look at anart.cuirm’s collection of snazzy tablecloths, runners, napkins, placemats and tea towels HERE and go for it.