John Cullen Lighting has been enhancing spaces with the power of light for over 40 years, across 45 countries. Their discreet and luxurious architectural luminaires are designed in house, with manufacturing taking place in the UK. Miniaturisation is at the heart of their DNA, ensuring elegant and expertly engineered fittings that endure, designed with the environment in mind. John Cullen Lighting has the ability to transform architecture, interiors and landscapes with an understated sophistication that evokes exceptional effects.

@johncullenlighting

Oblure’s name was inspired by its very mission – to create alluring objects. This pursuit has remained at the company’s core from its inception to today. Founded in Gothenburg, Sweden, Oblure create innovative lighting that seeks to add something new to the field. Scandinavian aesthetic tradition combines with international design influences for a collection that balances elegant simplicity with considered character. While their headquarters resides in Gothenburg, Oblure have stores all over the world – including two in the UK – and an online store.

@oblure_official

Founded by Sadie Perry, MANTEL select one-off vintage and artisanal Mexican objects and lighting, and create collaboratively designed pieces for their well-curated online store. Second-hand items are recontextualised to give them new relevance within a contemporary interior. Each piece is uniquely distinct, and often offers a balance between both form and function; enhancing a home whilst fulfilling a purpose.

@shopmantel

The AU was founded by UK-based interior stylist, Anna Unwin, as a curated resource of beautiful, one-off interior objects, lighting, textiles and furniture. The collection includes antique, mid-century and vintage items, each chosen due to their distinct design or idiosyncrasy. Some pieces are rare, some totally unique, and most are handcrafted using age-old skills that have passed through generations. All are sustainably sourced, balancing ethical and environmental considerations with Anna’s refined aesthetic.

As an interior stylist, Anna has worked for Aucoot Design Directory favourites Bauwerk Colour and House of Grey.

@anna.unwin

Having honed his distinct style through his studies at Central Saint Martins and the Royal Collage of Art, Lewis Kemmenoe now designs furniture and functional objects from his West London-based studio. Lewis’ work imbues a sense of playfulness, which often combines simple geometric shapes in complex ways to create elegant and refined home furnishings. Pattern and grain are celebrated through the considered use of a range of woods, and contrasts are created with colour, concrete and formica to give Lewis’ work a modern, utilitarian edge.

@lewiskemmenoe

DESIGN & THAT was founded in 2016 by interior architect Emma Shone-Sanders. This creative and contemporary studio brings together Emma’s appreciation for well-crafted furnishings and considered materiality to bring about unique and modern spaces that retain a warm and relaxed ambience. Collaboration with clients is elemental for this small and amiable studio, be them residential or commercial. DESIGN & THAT also offer an acutely curated selection of furniture, lighting and accessories through their online store. The pieces presented here all reflect Emma’s passion for well-crafted pieces and intuitive use of material.

@designandthat

Image credits: Victoria Park I (1-2); Lion House (3-6); Kensington I (7-10); Cleland House (11-12) by Leo Davut.

Founded in 1989 by Loughborough University design graduates, Philip DeVries and Paul O’Leary, deVOL has grown to become a renowned design-led manufacturer of bespoke kitchens, interiors and bathrooms. The headquarters at Cotes Mill, a 16^th century water mill in Leicestershire, is where every piece is designed and made, with woodworkers, ceramicists and metalworkers all based at the historic site. Known for the quality of their craftsmanship, impeccable design and compelling imagery, deVOL are a benchmark of British kitchen design. With two London showrooms – St John’s Square and Tysoe Street – and their first US showroom on Bond Street, Manhattan opening in 2019, the deVOL brand is developing far beyond kitchens to become a fully-fledged design house.

@devolkitchens

@devolceramics

@devolmetalstudio

Danish design brand, NORR11, craft pieces from natural and textural materials such as oak, ash, leather and rattan in a neutral colour palette to create their sophisticated and sculptural designs.

The Copenhagen-based design team draw inspiration from nature and Asian aesthetics, both of which heavily influence the brand’s furniture and lighting design. A commitment to sustainability means materials are responsibly sourced and a zero-waste policy is strived for in production. The pieces are built to last; the company’s goal is for them to be passed down through generations, becoming the design classics of tomorrow. Functionality, comfort and longevity are at the core of NOR11’s design sensibility, bringing personality and timelessness to modern interiors. 

@norr11

Tom Raffield founded his eponymous company in 2008, just after completing his degree in 3D Sustainability & Design. Having discovered the traditional, age-old technique of steam bending wood over his studies, he was determined and eager to put it to use, creating intricate curves and pleasing twists that mimic the organic shapes found in nature – Tom’s primary source of inspiration.

Today, Tom Raffield Ltd’s team of designers and craftsmen hand make lighting, furniture, accessories and spaces, all from the company’s Cornwall base. The remastering of this ancient craft for modern times leads to low levels of wastage, and negates the need for toxic glues. And, a deep understanding of both material and process means that the studio’s attitude to creativity is both broad and exciting.

Sustainability provides a further, central tenet for Tom Raffield Ltd, as their ethos sees it as integral to good design. Pieces are built to last and to be used through generations, and the efficiency of the steam-bending process means less waste is produced and less energy is used. The company recently became members of the WWF 2030 Circle to support the Trillion Trees programme.

@tomraffield

Sisters Sarah and Caroline founded London-based Interior Design Studio & Unique Homeware Shop, SASCAL STUDIO, in early 2020. The duo take a fresh approach to interiors, creating unique spaces that are highly personalised to their clients’ requirements. Each project is filled with one-of-a-kind pieces – be them vintage finds, bespoke builds or fine art – thanks to the pair’s long-standing relationships with trusted suppliers from across Europe.

Sarah and Caroline trained at KLC Design School in Chelsea Harbour before both working for high-end design firms, where they gleaned plenty of perspective on running residential projects in their entirety. Since founding SASCAL STUDIO, they have carved out their own distinctive aesthetic; relaxed and layered interiors that reflect the individuality of the owners.

Founded in 2001 by designer and academic Ilse Crawford, Studioilse is a multi-disciplinary London-based design studio that places human emotion front and centre of everything it does, be it furniture and product design, or interior-scaping for private and commercial clients.

Crawford’s illustrious design credentials include the editorship of Elle Decoration – a title she founded in 1989 – and a stint as Vice President of Donna Karan Home. She set up her own firm to create spaces for clients that include Soho House, Electric Cinema and Aesop, as well as product collaborations with IKEA and Bolon. Crawford is also the founder of the Man and Wellbeing department at the Design Academy Eindhoven in Holland, and has written several books: Sensual Home (1997), Home is Where the Heart is? (2005) and more recently A Frame for Life (2014) – all exploring the idea of interior design rooted in one’s experience of a space, rather than simply what looks good in a room together.

Abigail Ahern’s inimitable dark and dramatic signature style has cemented her place as one of the industry’s most celebrated interior designers. After launching her eponymous brand in 2003, Ahern’s first product line followed in 2008 with an offbeat collection of ceramic dog lamps. Big name high street collaborations soon followed, as well as spots in both Selfridges and Heal’s and her own Islington flagship store, Atelier Abigail Ahern.

Her seasonal offerings encompass furniture, lighting, sculpture, accessories, textiles and exquisite faux flowers and plants which frequently feature on her hugely popular Instagram feed, where she posts styling tips and tricks from her East London home. Ahern also regularly runs a series of style masterclasses from the same house, where attendees can learn about the transformative power of earthy, tonal colours and sumptuous clashing textures.

Both Fien Muller and Hannes Van Severen are artists, so it’s no surprise that their collection sits somewhere between design and art. It’s obviously ‘furniture’ but the emphasis is not completely about function and suggests different ways of living and using space. The Muller Van Severen collection invites participation – the chopping boards and trivets are wall sculptures that adapt to a functional role and change in appearance with use; the double facing seat only achieves its potential with use – two people engaging and perhaps forming new ideas. The process of ‘designing’ appears to be more like a conversation and an evolution of ideas, with one finished product inspiring the next – which makes the collection work so well as a whole.

The New Craftsmen works with a selection of Britain’s finest craft makers to showcase the materials, skills and craft products of the British Isles. Founded in 2012 in Mayfair, London, The New Craftsmen currently represents a network of over 75 makers working in textiles, silverware, furniture, ceramics, jewellery, glassware and beyond. They represent a vision of sustainable, real luxury, expressed through dedication to makers, materials, method and design

They sell a carefully selected range of products and limited editions, forging collaborations with designers and makers to give a contemporary take on specific skills and materials. This enables customers, interior designers and architects to customise, commission and collaborate with them, developing bespoke pieces.

PINCH is led by husband and wife partnership, Russell Pinch and Oona Bannon. An established British design studio, it is celebrated for its consistently high-quality and genre defining furniture. Their dedication to craft and process is evident in their products, characterized by a quiet and elegant aesthetic. Russell and Oona describe their work as ‘authentic’ and ‘thoughtful’. They believe in poetic design, making beautiful things, pieces that endure, inspire and aspire to be inherited. PINCH is run from their studio and showroom in Clapham, London. Whilst most pieces are held in stock, PINCH also offer bespoke alterations to many of their designs on request.

Carpenters Workshop Gallery produces and exhibits functional sculptures by international rising and already established artists and designers. The gallery is actively involved in the research and production of the limited edition works exhibited. Founded by childhood friends, Julien Lombrail and Loic Le Gaillard, their first space was opened in London’s Chelsea in 2006. Since then they have opened galleries in Mayfair and in the heart of Le Marais district in Paris. In 2015 they opened Carpenters Workshop Roissy, a unique 8,000-meter square space dedicated to artistic research and development, bringing together the elite of artisans. Carpenters Workshop Gallery New York is the latest step in the gallery’s remarkable development, marking them out as global leaders in art and design.

Lee Broom started out in theatre school – a beginning which has greatly influenced the sense of drama and narrative that his collections create. In 2007 he launched his first furniture collection and today he is one of the UK’s leading product & interior designers. His products are sold in over 120 stores and 40 countries worldwide. Since 2007 he has released over 75 furniture and lighting products, which he designs and manufactures under his own label and has created more than 20 products for other brands.  Lee Broom has been described by The Financial Times as “Among the most respected British Talents”.

Muuto is rooted in the Scandinavian design traditions of enduring aesthetics, functionality, craftsmanship and an honest expression. By expanding this heritage with forward looking materials, techniques and bold creative thinking, their ambition is to deliver a new perspective on Scandinavian design. In fact the name Muuto comes from muutos, meaning new perspective in Finnish. They handpick leading contemporary designers who share the Muuto philosophy and then combine their talent with the passionate Muuto creative team. You’ll know a Muuto design because it has muutos. Objects made sublime through new perspectives, enjoyed across the world, representing the best of Scandinavian design today.

Louise Tucker is a design studio focused on the creation of intricate, beautiful lighting using a pioneering blend of traditional craft weaving techniques and contemporary product design, inspired by organic form. The studio creates a range of made-to-order light pieces, hand woven out of sustainably sourced specialist maple wood. Decorative and elegant, environmentally conscious and sustainable, each product is carefully crafted in Wales, with a focus on material development, construction and form, which highlights the care of the maker.

ferm LIVING draws on Scandinavian design traditions and simple aesthetics – but with a distinctive graphic edge that makes every item firmly contemporary. ferm LIVING is based in Denmark, where Trine Andersen founded a graphic design studio in 2005, soon expanding into design and interior products. As Trine found herself unable to find wallpaper with the kind of graphic design she wanted, she took matters into her own hands – and her first wallpaper collection was launched in February 2006. Ferm now stocks a constantly growing range of interior products, available around the globe. Even so, all designs remain rooted in the Danish soil, where it all began.