OBJECTS Interiors and the Art of Furniture Design Household fabric, 1900–1915 Liberty ART Fabrics, London Cotton cretonne, hand weave, printed design; 174 x 80 cm The Liberty department store was opened in 1875 by Arthur Lasenby Liberty in London’s Regent Street. Arthur Liberty specialised in fabrics, ornaments and art objects with an emphasis on hand-crafted methods and a high aesthetic quality. The shop’s main marketing philosophy was based on the idea of manufacturing functional and beautiful objects at prices that would be affordable to all classes of society. The Liberty department store soon won recognition as a prestigious centre of contemporary design. Over the years, its founder established strong contacts with the most accomplished English designers, many of whom became prominent figures in the flourishing Art Nouveau movement.