Founded in 2015 in South West London, Tom Massey Studio takes on horticultural projects both in the UK and internationally, producing award-winning, sustainable and ecologically designed gardens for a mix of commercial and private clients. Since opening his studio, Tom has brought to light a range of pressing issues through his thought-provoking garden designs, most notably; the effect of climate change, food supply, drought and prejudice faced by refugees.

The studio’s recent accolades include a gold medal and BBC People’s Choice Awards for its 2021 Yeo Valley Organic Garden at the RHS Chelsea Flower Show. Alongside running his studio, Tom also tutors frequently at the London College of Garden Design in Kew and has recently appeared as a garden designer on BBC Two’s Your Garden Made Perfect.

@tommasseyuk

Image credits: The Yeo Valley Organic Garden, RHS Chelsea Flower Show 2021  by Britt Willoughby Dyer (cover and 1-3); East London Garden by Justin De Souza (5-6); Twickenham Garden by Alister Thorpe (7-9); and The Yard House by Alister Thorpe & Landscape Associates (10-11).

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

Established some 12 years ago by Founding Director Carl Turner, Turner.Works (formerly Carl Turner Architects) take on a wide range of projects – each bringing them together with like-minded people, organisations or communities to create places of purpose that imbue creativity. From shipping containers and car parks to exhibitions, work spaces and residential homes, Turner.Works design from a foundation of forward thinking, with imagination, determination and ambition as their central tenants.

With a highly skilled and multi-faceted team of architects, urban designers, makers and thinkers behind them, Turner.Works rethink spaces and places to create unique buildings to live, work and learn in. Highly energised and intuitively responsive, this design and architectural studio have collected a number of awards over the years, including the AYA Small Project Architect of the Year winners in 2017 and the Royal Institute of British Architect’s Manser Medal for Slip House in 2013.

Image credits: Kinnerton St, a collaboration with Well St Studio, by Lorenzo Zandri (1-6) Dutch Barn by French + Tye (7-10); Camberwell Coach House by Simon Cadle (11-12); Hove House by French + Tye (13-16); Ochre Barn by Damian Russell (17-19); Slip House by Tim Crocker (20-22); Stanhope Gardens by Tim Crocker (23-24).

@turner.works

A childhood spent in rural Lithuania inspired Ula Maria‘s deep connection with nature, and led to an award-winning career in garden and landscape design. Prior to this, Maria attended the School of Fine Arts in Lithuania before moving permanently to the UK in 2008. While studying for both a BA and MA in Landscape Architecture at Birmingham City University, Maria won the Landscape Institute’s John Knight award for both her undergraduate and postgraduate submissions.

She then went on to scoop the RHS Young Designer of the Year in 2017. After that, Maria gained experience working for a number of landscape practices, including Tom Stuart-Smith, and then established her own firm – with an aim to create emotive spaces that foster a deeper connection with nature through sensory experience. Maria has since returned to Birmingham City University where she is a visiting tutor, and in 2020 published a book, Green, celebrating the merits of the smaller urban garden.

Founded in 2011 by James Hoy and Alan Drumm, Uncommon Projects is not a traditional joinery company. Their bespoke furniture is made from high-quality hardwood veneered plywood – all designed and crafted in London. Both men come from very different creative backgrounds – James studied Fine Art and worked in toy design and Alan spent 14 years as an architect, but it is these differences that come together to create their unique and distinct style – informed by an honest approach to materials, functionality and visual balance.

Up Architects are a London-based architecture and design practice who specialise in striking and contemporary residential projects. They rigorously consider all aspects of a project in order to achieve a successful end result for their clients. Without compromising on detail at any stage of the design or build process, their methodical approach ensures elegant, clever spatial solutions and technically advanced construction techniques. The practice’s designs can be built effectively and easily without compromising on their original vision.

With a minimalist aesthetic and an authentic and sensitive approach to materials, Up Architects produce beautifully crafted buildings and interiors on varying scales. Each of their projects to date showcases exceptional attention to detail and thoughtful solutions that make a home more pleasurable to live in.

Creating innovative products and concepts with great designers is Vitra’s essence. They are developed in Switzerland and installed worldwide by architects, companies and private users to build inspirational spaces for living, working and shopping as well as public areas. A family business for eighty years, Vitra believes in lasting relationships with customers, employees and designers, durable products, sustainable growth and the power of good design.

Vitsœ stands for the inordinate power of good design in everything it does: designing thoughtfully, responsibly and intelligently for the company, its furniture and the many people who share a profound interest in all of our tomorrows.

For more than half a century Vitsœ’s aim has been to produce simple, timeless furniture that will not only encourage you to use and reuse it but will also impel us to invest continuously, to our mutual long-term benefit.

Dieter Rams has worked continuously for Vitsœ since 1959 – still improving his designs to this day – and is often cited by a new generation of designers as a key influence on their work that is shaping the 21st century.

Water and Wood began in 2018, when their founder realised that there was a gap in the market for original antique hardware items whilst restoring a Victorian town house. From ornate cast-iron door knockers and rare vintage taps through to intricately patterned finger plates, their online showroom and store is a one-stop-shop for authentic antique hardware for the home.

In 2024 Water and Wood began an exciting new chapter with the introduction of two new home accessories ranges. Each is a celebration of British craftsmanship. Both decorative and functional the bathroom range consists of bronze swan towel rails and lavatory roll holders, individually cast in one of the oldest bronze foundries in the UK. The second collection continues a long tradition of British tap making. Four models of kitchen and bathroom taps have been engineered and assembled by hand from solid cast brass; to include bib, basin and wall mounted models. With a focus on functional and timeless elegance these thoughtfully designed taps are crafted to the highest quality, ensuring each product is built to last.

@waterandwooduk

Whittaker Parsons are founded on an ethos that put people at their heart, and create beautiful, bespoke buildings made in collaboration with – and consideration for – their patrons. The practice takes on projects of varying scales, and see architecture as a way of adding value to communities and the everyday lives that unfold within them.

Quality takes precedence over quantity for Whittaker Parsons, with intuitive and expert design providing the backbone for every build. Context and architectural heritage are put into focus for each project. The practice are also committed to making a positive environmental impact, and achieve this through one-on-one material research and appropriate construction techniques.

Images credit: Jim Stephenson.

@whittakerparsons

WoodEdit was founded by husband and wife team, Paul and Maria Le Mesurier, to create timeless, hand-crafted wooden furniture for the home that’s built to last. Based in the bucolic South Downs in West Sussex, each piece is hand-made to order by Paul in his workshop. Creative Direction is headed up by Maria, who designs and styles the furniture, allowing the pleasing simplicity of the items to shine through. WoodEdit have built their business around a deep-rooted respect for nature, simplicity and authenticity. Each piece can be crafted from carefully considered selection of responsibly sourced wood types – ash, walnut or oak – and can be created to a bespoke size to suit any home.

@woodedituk