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Marion Labbez

Featuring geometric patterns and foral motifs, this
designer-maker’s decorative glass is a visual treat

London-based Frenchwoman Marion Labbez specialises in églomisé,
the art of gilding the back of glass with metal leaf. She creates
beautiful panels for walls, headboards and splashbacks, and is
about to collaborate with Nina Campbell on a furniture collection.
When did you discover this technique? I used to work as a
designer for a company of specialist fnishers in London. I created patterns for
them, then I started to learn all the techniques they were using and gilding was
my favourite. Even though verre églomisé has a French name, I had no idea it
existed before I moved to the UK.
Where do you get your ideas? From memories, travels, smells – anything. My
Joelle pattern was inspired by the huge magnolia tree in my parents’ garden
and is named for my mother, while Juliette (below, far left) has the feel of a
smoky gentlemen’s club and takes its name from Romeo y Julieta cigars.
How do people incorporate your work into their homes? Clients often
commission a mirror to go above a mantelpiece, while applying églomisé to
furniture, such as on the doors of a cupboard or on the side of a bedside table,
looks attractive. I also make headboards, which is a lovely way to bring a decorative
element to a bedroom. More unusual, but also effective, was a panel I recently
fnished for a bath, and there is an increased interest in ornate splashbacks.
Who has inspired you? Architect and designer Charlotte Perriand, for her
perseverance and genius. As a woman working in the 1920s, she must have
been so strong and driven to win recognition. I also respect textile sculptor
Helen Amy Murray, for whom I worked; she developed a technique for creating
sculptural surfaces in unexpected materials and now has a signature product.
What are your future plans? I’m working on an exciting collaboration with
Nina Campbell to manufacture furniture. I’m also about to begin work on
projects in Europe, starting with Paris, my hometown.
For more information, visit marionlabbez.com.

Thinking of updating your home or garden for the new season? If so, you’ll fnd thousands
of creative ideas at housetohome.co.uk/homesandgardens, with a clever digital moodboard
feature that allows you to bring together all the inspiration you need for your latest scheme.

soak IT up
Since Roman times, Bath has
been renowned as a centre of
wellness, and that reputation
will be further cemented by
the much-anticipated opening
of The Gainsborough Bath
Spa hotel, 0800 529 8000,
thegainsboroughbathspa.co.uk.
Uniquely, guests can enjoy Bath’s
thermal waters (right), thanks
to its private reserve. Built in
the 1800s, the 99-room hotel
occupies two Grade II-listed
buildings with Georgian and
Victorian façades. Double
rooms cost from £285 a night.

22 | H&G | september 2015