How Enamel Changed The World Of Design

Okay, so I know what you’re thinking, ‘I’m sure my enamel is more tooth related than design related’. However, you will be surprised at how many objects in your house are made of or have some sort of enamel in their design. Tooth enamel gives your tooth that pearly white surface when the tooth has fully formed, but it has little to do with interior design.

Well, vitreous enamel is a material made by fusing powdered glass with another oil based material. Once heated, normally to around 750°C, the materials melt and mix together to create a glossy, shiny and incredibly hard surface which can then be used as a finish for different pieces of design.  Enamel has been used in decorative art since Egyptian times, and the quality of the material has evolved over the ages to become a durable art material.  Enamel became a popular art material in the 19th century and was used in many religious decorations in churches and by the rich and wealthy of England in their homes.

Enamel has also become very popular the world over in early 2000’s, where it was adapted into designer goods. VOGUE brought back enamel jewellery in their spring magazine as designers like Lagerfeld and De La Renta based their collections around the enamel revival. This then inspirited a generation, who fell back in love with enamel, especially those working in the interior design world.

As the years went on and science began to grow and develop, enamel became more durable and easier to work with. Scientists began to test the material to see how it would react with other metals and other materials. They found after carbonating enamel that it worked better with materials than before, the same applied with other materials such as pot and marble.

Enamel leaves a see through and glossy finish when applied to other materials i.e. a bath. It works like a protective coating on top of any material it is applied to, making it easy to clean and maintain. This is why most interior designers opt for an enamel finish to products. An enamel surface doesn’t even have to be produced in a factory, stores like Ikea and B&Q have various ranges of enamel paints and products to suit everybody’s needs.

So enamel, a humble material from our very own mother nature which has a million and one uses from teeth to DIY! What’s not to love!

Jane Day wrote this article about enamel on behalf of The Bath Business.