Things we've learnt in over 40 years of bespoke handmade furniture making
A few things we’ll always believe when it comes to creating beautiful, considered homes.
There are plenty of rules when it comes to interiors and in our 40 years of experience we've certainly learnt a lot of them.
Certain colours are in. Certain styles are out. Storage should be hidden, rooms should be neutral, furniture should match and we're all supposed to know which trend is coming next.
When we're designing a home, we're much more interested in creating spaces that feel right for the people who live in them. Spaces with character, personality and purpose. Furniture that belongs to the architecture rather than simply sitting within it.
So, here are a few things we're happy to stand by as handmade furniture makers:
Not every room needs to be white and beige.
Colour is key.
There's a place for quiet, pared-back interiors, but we don't think every room needs to follow the same restrained palette.
Adding in splashes of colour can really elevate a room. Just take a look at this vibrant yellow bathroom we recently designed in India Yellow by Farrow & Ball.
It's only a small touch but it makes a huge difference.
The important thing isn't whether a colour is currently fashionable. It's whether it feels right for the room, and more importantly, for the people who live in it.
Work with what you've got.
The most interesting rooms aren't always the easiest ones.
An awkward alcove, an uneven wall, a low ceiling or an unusual layout can initially feel hard to overcome. But these are often the details that give a room its character. Rather than trying to disguise them, we like to ask how we can work with them.
A piece of furniture can be designed around an awkward angle.
An alcove can become useful storage.
Good design doesn't always mean changing a space. It's about understanding what you're working with.
Make the practical beautiful
The things you need don't have to be the things you want to hide.
Storage is a necessity in every home. But that doesn't mean it has to look like one.
When cabinetry is designed specifically for a space, practical requirements can become part of the architecture. Books, belongings, televisions, records, crockery, whatever the room needs to accommodate, can be considered from the outset rather than squeezed in afterwards.
The most successful bespoke furniture pieces solve practical problems while quietly becoming one of the most beautiful elements in the room.
Let the architecture lead
Handmade Furniture should feel connected to its surroundings.
One of the things we love most about bespoke furniture is the opportunity to design from the room outwards.
The proportions of the space, the existing materials, the architectural details and even the way the light moves through it can all influence a piece.
Rather than creating furniture that simply fits a particular measurement, we're interested in making something that feels like it belongs there.
Something that looks considered from every angle.
Something that could almost have been part of the house from the beginning.
Design for the life beyond the reveal
A beautiful room shouldn't have an expiry date.
We're surrounded by trends that move quickly. What feels new and exciting one year can feel dated the next.
For us, the most successful interiors aren't necessarily the ones that make the biggest immediate impression. They're the ones that continue to feel right years later.
That doesn't mean avoiding personality or playing it safe.
It means choosing materials, colours, proportions and furniture that have something beyond the trend cycle, pieces that can evolve with the people and the home around them.
Designing for the years ahead, rather than the season we're in.
That's where we come in!
Our 40+ years of experience is to be used to your homes advantage. We know what we're doing, we know exactly how to do it and execute it in the most exquisite way. Ultimately, it's about making a home feel like itself.
There isn't a formula for a great interior.
Sometimes the answer is colour. Sometimes it's restraint. Sometimes it's making use of an a`1wkward corner, or designing a piece of furniture that simply couldn't exist anywhere else.
The key is understanding the space, and designing with it, rather than against it, and we do just that.
Because the homes we love most aren't necessarily the ones that follow all the rules.
They're the ones that feel completely, unmistakably themselves.
Create something timeless.
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