Sourcing Timeless Craft
What role does craftsmanship play in your design philosophy?
The entire exercise is about craft. It can be historic or it can be modern, but it’s within everything I do. Craftsmanship is what elevates something above the ordinary – whether it’s one of our own bespoke pieces, turned, painted, or upholstered by skilled hands; an antique, created by a top maker or a passionate hobbyist; even the way an interior scheme is built, layer by layer, with every detail considered.
When sourcing antiques or hand-made objects, what qualities do you consider beyond the way they look?
I always look at the finish, which I consider an integral part of the piece rather than a strictly aesthetic quality. My son Will is a furniture maker, and he was amazed to find out that most people just cover their pieces with a coat of oil. There is so much more that can be added to enrich and embolden a piece of furniture, beyond the actual material you’re working with.
A great example of that is ceramics, where essentially the finish is all in the texture and the ornament, but it really applies to anything antique or handmade – it should have some character, some personality, beyond its structure and form.
Can you share the story of a particular piece you’ve sourced that felt especially meaningful?
I’ve got a kitchen chair that I bought at a sale in the West Country, and I’ve always loved it. I’ve restored the original, I’ve made copies, and my family have spent many hours together sitting in them. To me, an object is ultimately meaningful if you imprint your personality into it, if it has a history, or if there’s some level of intimacy that you can have with it.
If you know where something has come from, if you know who the maker was – or if you know the maker personally – or if the purchase has a tale that goes with it, it’s meaningful. For instance, if you’re travelling and you buy something along the way, it will have a meaning and a depth to it already, but there’s also much to be said for an object that develops meaning over the course of its life with you.
Can you share a piece of advice for someone trying to add considered, handcrafted pieces into their homes?
The best advice is just to really love it, and don’t buy it unless you do!
What’s the most treasured piece in your own collection?
My children’s art – I’ve got three artists and a cabinetmaker in the family, so there’s an abundance of it, and I treasure every piece.
There’s also a gorgeous, solid walnut William & Mary chest of drawers that my dad bought for me when I was an apprentice restorer. It fell apart into many pieces, and I would spend hours restoring it on the weekends. He gave it to me when I was in my mid-twenties, and I’ve treasured it ever since.
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