Divine Savages’ Collaboration with the Natural History Museum

A collection billions of years in the making

…and the first wallpaper collection in collaboration with London’s iconic museum.

As soon as we were contacted about this collaboration, we knew it was the perfect partnership. Divine Savages, known for its quirky and eccentric take on interiors has partnered up with the Natural History Museum to create a range of wallpapers, fabrics and cushions. Honestly, the Natural History Museum is undoubtedly the place to be for interior inspiration. The Museum has world-leading collections and of course the building itself. It first opened its doors on 18 April 1881, but its origins stretch back to 1753.

https://www.nhm.ac.uk/about-us/history-and-architecture.html

Divine Savages was founded in South East London in 2017 by husbands Jamie Watkins and Tom Kennedy. They share a passion for quirky interiors and styling and set out to do interiors their way. Tom’s took the plunge in 2017 when he reached a crossroad in his career in fashion. Jamie brings business and marketing know-how to the team.

We were invited to the launch of their new collection, and we couldn’t wait to hear more… and of course, have a good look around their beautiful home. View the house tour blog post here.

A brand that mixes influences from classic prints to iconic modern design with the Divine Savage twist. Your home will come alive with their carefully curated collections that bring a taste of the unexpected. So let’s inject a splash of wonder into your home the Divine Savage way. Be daring and flamboyant and delve into the world of wallpaper, fabric and cushions.

Become your own curator with this exclusive collection with the Natural History Museum. Jamie and Tom have always had a passion for nature and an obsession with Indiana Jones so raiding the vast archives and vaults was a dream come true. What a journey they have had.

Introducing the new collection

The first wallpaper collection from The Natural History Museum

Each of these five designs has been inspired by a different natural element from the Museums collections and the building, Botanize, Arboreta, Extinctopia, Hierarchy and Forbidden Bloom.

Botanize

Botanize looks at the iconic hall of the great Museum designed by Alfred Waterhouse, in creating his vision of a “cathedral to nature” and reminding us of the importance of the plants discovered by the epic adventures undertaken by Britain’s great explorers.

Botanize is available in two different styles, a ‘Heritage’ collection that stays true to the original Hintze tiles of the Museum in Whale Blue, Palm Green, Peppermint and Plaster pink, as well as a modern reworking of the illustrations in a sophisticated colour palette of Fern Green, Blackberry, Heather and Lily Blue.

Arboreta

Arboreta is a botanical garden devoted to trees, perfectly named for this design, drawing inspiration from illustrations dating back to 1786 of scotch furs, weeping willows, yews and more. This design focuses on the heritage and classic feel of the illustrations keeping it similar to the true original. Colours available in Charcoal, Blue, Berry and Sage.

Extinctopia

Extinctopia is a quirky take on dinosaurs. Divine Savages had already created a dinosaur wallpaper when it first launched and this latest design takes inspiration from the Museum’s collection as well as Crystal Palace Park, which in 1854 unveiled the first dinosaur sculptures in the world and is also the area where the design duo behind Divine Savages live. Here dinosaurs and prehistoric creatures are scattered amongst statues inspired by Britain, such as the iconic policeman, a pigeon and a poodle, adding Divine Savage’s trademark humour to the design. Colours available in Peppermint, Glacier Blue, Blush and Slate.

Hierarchy

It’s not just the Museum’s collection that Divine Savages wanted to celebrate, but also the building itself where you see the intricately carved stonework of gargoyles and other creatures, and the pillars that surround the Museum which inspired Divine Savages’ design of Hierarchy. The design shows the perfect mix of architectural splendour as well as the natural world. Colours available in Pencil Grey, Mustard, Blush and Blue.

Forbidden Bloom

The final design, Forbidden Bloom was inspired by the botanical and animal collections held at the Museum including the works of the infamous Bauer Brothers. Yet this design has a twist to it. Upon first look you can see intricate vines leading to beautiful flowers, however upon closer inspection, the vines are in fact serpents, and if you look even closer you will be able to spot the serpent’s head too! Colours available in Black, Deep Blue, Blush and Peppermint.

Both Anna and I have loved learning all about this wonderful collection especially seeing the original sources for each one. We both have found this totally fascinating and now we are on a mission to book in a day to take ourselves up to the Natural History Museum and immerse ourselves in history. We may even take the children again. www.nhm.ac.uk

Sally’s Picks

I fell in love straight away with Extinctopia as the whimsical fantasy of being a great explorer overtook me. I can see myself dressed in victorian clothing with my faithful poodle by my side doing a great impression of a Wes Anderson character, Moonrise Kingdom came to mind. Let the adventure begin, imagine looking for that ultimate specimen to bring back and study, hiding in bushes to watch the prehistoric beast frolic in the water and of course, you would need to have a policeman near just in case.

Anna’s Picks

The Botanize Heritage Wallpaper is totally for me! I’m planning which room to redecorate with it already! Such stunning colourways and the right mix of heritage and modern to make me very very happy.

I also have plans for the Arboreta Wallpaper. Love this idea of this in one of the kids’ rooms.

Finally, this photo is just divine, as you might expect 🙂

A collection billions of years in the making