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

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

Norlha was founded by mother and daughter Kim and Dechen Yeshi. Dechen travelled to the Tibetan Plateau in 2005 to research the region’s economical and cultural dynamics and, after developing a strong connection with the place, decided to stay. Dechen’s knowledge and care for the communities she met, combined with Kim’s passion for textiles and sustainable development, lead to Norlha being established as the Tibetan Plateau’s first Yak Khullu Atelier in 2007.

Norlha uses yak khullu for its textiles, which is the soft under down that yaks grow in the autumn, and shed in late spring. Its incredibly enduring, soft and warm, and ethical too – the fibre is collected from the yaks as it starts to loosen naturally, so the animal is never deprived of its winter protection. Norhla place the exceptional qualities of this rare fibre, the skill of the artisans they work with and the creation of high-quality products at the heart of everything they do.

@norlha_atelier

With over 30 years of experience sourcing and selling antiques, Goldsmiths alumnus Christopher Howe went on to launch his own handmade furniture and lighting brand, Made by HOWE, which coincided with the opening of his second showroom on London’s Pimlico Road in 1995. With creations based on his favourite historical designs, customers can commission pieces ranging from sofas, fireplaces, tables and chairs; tailoring size, fabric and details to suit their taste. Each piece is made in Britain, with meticulous attention paid to the choice of timber and the traditional methods used to make each item. So much so, that HOWE London has furnished works for some of Britain’s most trusted institutions, including Hampton Court Palace, Strawberry Hill House, The National Gallery and Sir John Soane’s Museum.

In 2004, Howe became the first person to have a single owner sale, Christopher Howe: The First Twenty Years, at Christie’s in South Kensington. This sale included items of furniture from the 18th-20th century, plus a selection of bespoke pieces from the HOWE London collection.

@howelondon

Landscape architect Stefano Marinaz has carved out a career from his life-long love for plants, having grown up in a family of horticulturalists in Northern Italy. After completing degrees in both Agronomy and Landscape Architecture in his native Italy, as well as an MA in Landscape Architecture at the University of Greenwich, Marinaz worked at the Royal Botanic Gardens in Kew and Arne Maynard’s studio, with private clients that took him across the globe. In 2012 Marinaz established his own practice, undertaking commissions that range from large-scale, hard landscaping projects on country estates to smaller, urban plots. His work extends well beyond the usual plant schemes to include furniture, lighting, sculpture and fencing, as well as a thorough follow-up maintenance programme with the help of two Kew-trained gardeners that he employs.

Image credits: Queens Park by Ed Reeve (1-2); Rus in Urbe (3-4), North London (5-6) and Gasholders (7-9) by Alister Thorpe.

@stefano.marinaz.landscapes.uk

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

Simon and Monica Cass make up the design partnership behind par-avion co. Their experience in furniture making and architecture create the foundations for their designs, and their practice is based around an ethos that holds good quality and affordability at its heart. Their pieces are timeless in style, and built to outlive fashions and fads – they are creations to keep for lifetimes.

par-avion co. combine traditional crafts with contemporary design and utilise a host of skills, including furniture making, wood turning, basket making, seat weaving, wood carving and pottery. Their dedication to preserving the environment ensures that all the materials they use are natural and renewable, with their makers in each region selected for both their quality of work and their environmental impact.

@par_avion_co

Surrey-based garden designer Pollyanna Wilkinson set up her design studio in 2017, after a decade working in marketing in the city. Her work demonstrates a considered balance between elegance and practicality, creating gardens that often act as natural extensions to the homes which they surround. Whether it be a contemporary and luxurious London courtyard, or a large-scale country estate, capturing both the character of the property and the personal style of the owners lies at the heart of Polly’s work.

Polly qualified as a counsellor prior to starting her studio. Whilst she no longer practices, she is passionate about the impact of gardens on mental health and wellbeing, and designs with an appreciation for this in mind. Pollyanna has earned a handful of awards from two consecutive years exhibiting at Hampton Court Flower show, including the RHS People’s Choice Award 2019 and the RHS Silver Medal 2019.

@pollyanna_wilkinson

Interior designer and stylist Lonika Chande is known for her warm, confident schemes fizzing with richly saturated colour and playful textures and patterns. She pays particular attention to detail with carefully curated art, books and antique treasures (which she also sells through her online store) that lend a sort of layered eclecticism to her rooms. After graduating with a degree in History from Newcastle University, Lonika studied Architectural Interior Design at The Inchbald School of Design, before launching her career with two London based interior design firms. Now working from her own West London studio, Chande offers half-day consultations alongside complete interior redesigns, and runs projects from the design phase all the way through to completion.

Image credits: Queen’s Park, London by Milo Brown (1-8); Hampstead Apartment, London by Simon Brown (9-12).

@lonikachande

Sebastian Cox is a furniture designer, maker and environmentalist based in South London. Founded in 2010, his design studio holds an acute dedication to sustainability at its heart, elevating carbon counting, forward thinking and zero waste as the principal components in all they do.

Sebastian Cox harvests and mills his own British timber, respectfully updating traditional techniques with innovation and technology to create beautiful heirloom furniture, lighting and home accessories. The studio has a clear mission: to store 100 tonnes of CO2 in the wooden objects they make each year; and to double the area of woodland and wild land in the UK by 2040 through the careful management of their woodland resources in Kent.

Sebastian’s appreciation for woodland began from an early age; he grew up surrounded by it and his parents restored timber-framed buildings for a living. With his upbringing as a foundation, he went on to study Furniture Design and Craftsmanship, followed by a Masters Degree in Design, at Lincoln University. It’s here that he developed an instinct for abundant and overlooked materials.

Sebastian has been labelled as one of the most influential designers in London by the London Evening Standard and listed amongst Forbes’ 30 under 30 to watch. His work has received a Design Guild Mark alongside other accolades from design publications including Elle Decoration, Homes & Gardens and EKKB.

@sebastiancoxltd

A former interior designer, Butter Wakefield developed an eye for art and design working at Christie’s New York, and then in London at Colefax and Fowler, before turning her attention to the outdoors in 1992 with her own award-winning garden design business. Wakefield credits her time at Colefax and Fowler for teaching her the key principles of great design: scale, colour, pattern and texture – all elements she plays with within her work. Wakefield’s fascination with architecture and sculpture, the way buildings are put together, and the materials that are used tend to inspire most of her garden designs, with the work of Sir Christopher Wren and David Nash particular favourites.

Image credits: Clapham Old Town, Bayswater Garden & Notting Hill Courtyard by Ellie Walpole (1-9); Ravenscourt Park by Clive Nichols (10-12)

@butterwakefield

The Soho-based architecture and design practice, Szczepaniak Astridge, take a research-led approach to their work, prioritising wellbeing and the climate whilst marrying artistic spirit with the strength of science to create ‘Sensory Architecture’.

Szczepaniak Astridge’s approach to the procurement, collaboration and fabrication of their designs results in efficient and affordable outcomes that allow the culture’s they complement to thrive. The practice embrace the ephemeral, and consider it a key component to their designs, as it allows their constructions to change with time, growing into their true depth through their unrepeatable experience.

Szczepaniak Astridge work with ambitious individuals and organisations across the world, taking on all manner of projects – from residential homes to beauty and spa brands, and world-leading technologists – to create spaces that invigorate the senses and balance commercial and emotional value masterfully.

Image credit: Nicholas Worley

@szc.ast