Bloomsbury Revisited is a British studio creating lampshades, bases and wallpapers inspired by the artists of Charleston Farmhouse and the wider Bloomsbury Group.

Founded by Jane McCall – a trained artist – and Jane Howard, formerly of a successful PR agency, the two have been friends since 2003, when their children were at the same village school. In 2020, they reconnected in Sussex at a lampshade painting course run by a mutual friend.

The turning point came when McCall moved into a cottage on Howard’s farm during lockdown. What began as a short stay became a period of intense creativity, with a makeshift studio above the cow shed where the first lampshades took shape. For McCall, it marked a return to painting – this time on an unexpected surface.

Before the first lampshade was even dry, Bloomsbury Revisited had been born.

A Painterly Approach

Jane’s work draws heavily on the Bloomsbury Group – especially Vanessa Bell and Duncan Grant – as well as wider influences including Henri Matisse and Pablo Picasso, reflecting her grounding in fine art.

The name “Bloomsbury Revisited” reflects both influence and freedom – an approach shaped by the Bloomsbury artists’ way of working, where colour, pattern and space are explored intuitively and without constraint.

Starting with the Surface

Jane often works onto parchment, fabric or fragments of wallpaper, deliberately distressing the surface before building it back up. “I might… wreck it and then bring it back and use that as a base.”

Paint is applied with brushes, sponges or rags, then partially removed, creating a layered ground rich in texture and variation.

“The background is as interesting as the design.”

From there, compositions develop intuitively. Lampshades are often divided into sections – almost like small interior scenes – allowing different elements to occupy their own space while forming a cohesive whole.

Building Depth Through Colour

“I really don’t like flat colour. I love the way light makes colour,” Jane says.

When she works with Annie Sloan Chalk Paints, she builds colour in layers – diluting and blending – so tones flow into one another rather than sit still. Colours shift subtly – paprika into cocoa, soft greens into pinks – building depth and atmosphere as each layer dries and re-emerges.

“The paint sort of plays along with that… you get lovely marks and shapes.”

From Studio to Interiors

All Bloomsbury Revisited designs begin as original painted works by Jane. These are then scanned and reproduced, retaining the character of the brushwork, before being translated into lampshades and, more recently, wallpaper.

Alongside the collection, Jane continues to create bespoke pieces by hand.

Her most recognisable design, Pea and Lily, reflects her instinctive use of natural forms and colour. “I love green and pink,” she says.

Among the most popular designs are those featuring her dog, Bill—a recurring and much-loved presence in her work. These introduce a playful, personal note while retaining the same painterly depth.

Collaboration and Growth

With McCall leading the creative direction and Howard bringing her PR expertise, the studio has grown organically.

Bloomsbury Revisited now collaborates across interiors and design, including projects with Kit Kemp, Sanderson and Liberty.

“We’ve done lots of collaborations… you just don’t know what’s going to be around the corner,” Jane says.

Painting Without Boundaries

At its core, Bloomsbury Revisited remains a painting practice – one that moves fluidly between lampshades, wallpaper, furniture and interiors.

“There are no rules,” Jane reflects.

What began as a creative experiment inspired by Charleston and the Bloomsbury ethos has grown into a distinctive interiors’ studio. Yet it retains the spirit that defined it from the start: intuitive, layered and quietly bohemian – driven not by scale, but by a shared love of painting.