In Conversation with Rosanna Corfe

Celebrating the joy of outdoor living, inspired by Paris’ verdant gardens and elegantly planted pavement cafés

This season, our ‘Jardin de Paris’ terrace at Colbert pays homage to the graceful summer gardens of the French capital thanks to an elegant floral installation, complemented by limited-edition tableware designs. Rosanna Corfe, the artist behind our floral-laden coasters, menus and table illustrations, shares the details…

Tell us about this collaboration

I’ve created a series of Jardin de Paris-inspired floral designs across table tops, menus and coasters. Paying homage to Colbert’s French roots, the patterns are inspired by the City of Light’s gardens in summertime. They also coincide with this year’s Chelsea in Bloom, the neighbourhood’s yearly festival of flowers, so they will complement an elegant installation of live blooms by The Lucas Studio.

Tell us a little about the designs – what was the starting point?

For me, Jardin de Paris conjures beautifully structured gardens studded with elegant florals and immaculate greenery. Refined but still very inviting. The designs, featuring table toppers, coasters and menus, are influenced by my hand-painted ceramic work, where I often explore floral motifs, borders and dotted details. The circular table illustrations almost read like a garden seen from above, while the coasters and menus carry smaller elements of that design. A palette of green, cream and white sits alongside a wider, real floral installation by The Lucas Studio, creating a cohesive setting across the terrace. The aim is to enchant guests from the moment they sit down.

‘I wanted the designs to feel considered but joyful, with the details unfurling as you sit and spend time at the table. The starting point, based around colour, shape and composition, was the idea of elegant Parisian gardens in full summertime bloom’

Rosanna Corfe

What do you love about French café culture?

There’s something timeless and traditional about it. It doesn’t feel overly designed or forced. It is simply about sitting, observing, enjoying each other’s company – or indeed your own – and taking your time without feeling the need to rush.

How would you describe your work?

Considered, timeless and pattern-led. It tends to focus on colour, composition and storytelling. It often begins with observation, because I am interested in taking something from nature and turning it into a more playful, decorative form, rather than something overly realistic. I often draw from memory to maintain a painterly looseness.

Have you always been artistic?

I have always drawn and painted; it’s something I naturally gravitated towards from a young age. I remember enjoying things like the Easter bonnet competition at school and trying to make my own more elaborate each year, or spending hours at home drawing and making things. I also used to create quite intricate board games with papier-mâché elements, which my mother said were always far more fun to make than they were to actually play with.

Tell us how your childhood influences your work

Growing up in a small village in the Hampshire countryside meant I spent a lot of time outside, playing in the woods and going on dog walks. I was always drawn to nature, whether that was looking into ponds for frogs and tadpoles or watching birds in the garden. We also had lots of animals, including rabbits that created burrows in the garden, which later inspired pieces of mine. I have quite a few animal-based works that stem from those early memories. These influences still come through in my work today, in the focus on nature, animals and flowers.

Why is nature such a timeless motif, do you think?

People have an innate connection to nature, and it’s something we tend to miss as our lives become more urban. Nature surrounds us, so we can relate to it, plus it brings a sense of joy through colour as well as texture. There are so many beautiful shapes and colours within the natural world, and endless ways of representing them. That’s why nature in design remains a constant and timeless source of inspiration.

What would be your own dream café experience?

Sitting outside in the sun, if the weather allows. Somewhere with good food and a relaxed setting, where you can sit for hours, catching up with an old friend. I do love a sweet treat too, so a good pastry or cake with a coffee or tea depending on the time of day is always a great way to end a café visit.

Rosanna Corfe x Colbert Summer Terrace: June – August inclusive

Chelsea in Bloom: 18-24 May inclusive