Toiletpaper began as a magazine of surreal, eye-popping photography, and through its collaboration with the Italian brand Seletti those images have found their way onto mirrors, plates, chairs and cushions. Here we explain what the magazine is, how the Seletti x Toiletpaper pieces work, and how to live with them without your home feeling like a gallery.
From cult magazine to homeware
Toiletpaper is the cult magazine created by artist Maurizio Cattelan and photographer Pierpaolo Ferrari. Its pictures are bright, glossy and unsettling in equal measure: lipsticks, snakes, revolvers, a sea girl, a pair of milky boots. They look like adverts at first glance and then reveal a joke, or something slightly darker.
With Seletti, those images moved off the page and onto everyday objects. Every image in the collection is hand-picked by Cattelan and Ferrari, and the Seletti Wears Toiletpaper line describes itself as pairing black humour with pop spirit. You can see the whole range in our Toiletpaper home collection.
Mirrors: half reflection, half artwork
The mirrors are probably the most striking way into the collection, because they sit somewhere between a mirror and a painting.
- The Seletti x Toiletpaper Gold Frame Mirror sets the studio's imagery in a gold frame, with designs including Lipsticks, Hands with Snakes, Sea Girl, Tongue and Two of Spades. The range also includes pear-shaped and tall versions, such as the Gold Frame Tall Mirror.
- The Seletti x Toiletpaper Baroque Mirror wraps the images in an ornate frame inspired by the baroque art movement.
- The Seletti x Toiletpaper Plastic Mirror comes in small, medium and large designs, and works well grouped as a gallery wall.
A hallway, dressing room or bathroom is a natural home: places you pass through, where a bold image gives you a jolt rather than demanding attention all evening.
Tableware for a dinner people remember
The tableware turns a meal into a talking point. The Seletti x Toiletpaper Porcelain Mug is fine porcelain with a real gold trim. The Seletti x Toiletpaper Water Glasses are borosilicate glass tumblers suited to water, an aperitivo or a cocktail, and the Seletti x Toiletpaper Tablemats come in designs including Milky Boots, Bon Appetit, Snakes and Trumpets.
Our tip is not to match. Give each guest a different tablemat and glass, then keep the rest of the table simple with plain white plates and linen napkins so the images do the talking. For flowers, the Seletti x Toiletpaper Porcelain Vase takes a classic oriental shape and covers it in the studio's imagery.
Furniture and cushions
For a dining room with real personality, the Seletti x Toiletpaper Padded Chair has a wooden frame upholstered in boldly printed velour, finished with brass-effect feet. Mixing different prints around one table is very much the intention.
Outside, the Seletti x Toiletpaper Deck Chair puts the images on UV-resistant coated canvas over a sturdy beech frame that adjusts to your preferred reclining position.
Cushions are the easiest place to start. The Seletti x Toiletpaper Cushion Cover comes in 12 designs, from Lipstick and Tongue to Snakes, Kitten and Snooker. On a plain sofa, two or three different designs give a maximalist feel without committing a whole room.
Living with Toiletpaper
These images are loud, so give them space. One mirror in the hall, a pair of cushions in the sitting room and a mix of mugs in the kitchen will feel deliberate. A strong single colour on the walls, such as a deep green or inky blue, makes the pinks and reds of the photography sing.
To see more, browse our Toiletpaper collection, or visit us in Somerset where the team can help you choose your favourite images.
