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.

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.

Galvin Brothers design and make contemporary handcrafted furniture from their workshops in Beverley, East Yorkshire.

Building on their Father’s 62 years of joinery and cabinet making experience, the business was formed by Matthew Galvin (designer) and Andrew Galvin (joiner) in March 2012.

Their designs celebrate the uniquely wonderful properties of English Oak and other hardwoods, placing traditional joinery techniques at the centre of contemporary forms — functional objects with a twist.

Galvin Brothers furniture is designed and built to last; honest-to-goodness and evenly priced.

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”.

Award-winning Welsh designer based in London, Bethan Gray has a passion for luxurious natural materials – leather, marble and solid wood – and an extensive knowledge of craftsmanship and cutting-edge manufacturing technologies. She designs for global retailers and prestigious brands including Lane Crawford, Liberty and Harrods.

In her years as a designer Bethan has also worked closely with craftspeople from all over the world, developing her eye for the rare and wonderful. Her sense of pattern, colour and form are at the heart of everything she designs. This in itself has been recognised by renowned Islamic art scholars, establishing Bethan as an ambassador for contemporary Islamic design.

&tradition is a Danish design company established in 2010 with the founding principle of tradition tied to innovation. Their unique library of furniture and lighting spans from the 1930´s to the present day and includes designs by internationally renowned designers. Its ethos brings together the best in Nordic tradition and heritage to contemporary design, reshaping, redefining and reinventing materials, techniques and forms. They have a strong respect for nature – for the raw materials it provides – and believe in design that is made to last.

With over 30 years’ experience in the furniture industry, and an instinctive ability to curate sublime and timelessly elegant furniture, David Brooke Consulting offers a unique sourcing, buying and project management service. A respected authority on modern, mid century and contemporary furniture, they work with some of the world’s eminent architects and interior designers and provide furniture to some of the most beautiful hotels, public spaces and private homes both in the UK and Internationally. Their longstanding relationships with the finest furniture brands enable privileged discounts and an unparalleled all inclusive and bespoke service.

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.

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.

Another Brand has a unique structure that connects designer and manufacturer utilising the strength and capabilities of both partners to create new and innovative products under the Creative Direction of Studio Theo Williams. Products are rooted in the DNA of Another Brand, and encompass diverse categories. Their furniture range – Cubo – is designed to adapt to any room, business or domestic, and is easily modified by the manufacturer to suit the client’s needs. Theo Williams progressed from designing products for brands like Alessi, to lead design and creative roles with Habitat and John Lewis.

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.

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.

Jeremy Pitts studied Architecture at Art College before beginning his career designing private houses – from detailing the building itself to interior fit out, fittings and furniture.  This enabled him to see the whole process of making a house and, more importantly, a home. These early days saw Jeremy develop a practice of working with skilled craftspeople (cabinet makers, metalworkers etc.) and to seek unusual and exceptional materials.

His work today is focused on smaller furniture and cabin-making projects, working collaboratively with a range of skilled makers and sourcing difficult to find materials, particularly large boards of UK grown timber.

Photography by Oliver Perrot

HAY was founded in 2002 with the ambition to create contemporary furniture with an eye for modern living and sophisticated industrial manufacturing. That remains their ambition today. Through a commitment to the design and production of furniture and accessories with an international appeal they strive to make good design accessible to the largest possible audience. Inspired by architecture and fashion, HAY’s continued vision is to create straightforward, functional and aesthetic design in cooperation with some of the world’s most talented, curious and courageous designers.

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.

SCP was founded in 1985 by Sheridan Coakley as a manufacturer and retailer of modern furniture. Inspired by the designs of the Modern Movement, Coakley decided to start selling classic and hard to find pieces, while trying his hand a producing new designs in the same spirit. Nearly three decades on, SCP remains true to its founding idea, to make and sell design products that are functional, beautiful and made to last.

In 1986, SCP exhibited for the first time at the Salone del Mobile in Milan. On show were the first ever manufactured designs by Matthew Hilton and Jasper Morrison. Since that point, SCP has continued to develop new products every year. Employing the rich talents of designers that include Terence Woodgate, Konstantin Grcic, Michael Marriott, Russell Pinch, Robin Day, Donna Wilson, Alex Hellum, Kay+Stemmer, Reiko Kaneko, Lucy Kurrein, Timorous Beasties, PearsonLloyd, Rachel Whiteread and Peter Marigold.

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.

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.

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.