An essay in three parts
Fewer things, kept longer.
Why we design so little, make nothing in advance and keep repairing what we sold years ago.
I
Design less
↓
II
Make to order
↓
III
Keep it going
↓
I · Design less
We add two or three objects a year. An idea only becomes an object when it is better than something we could already buy, and when we can promise to make it, and repair it, for decades.
Is it better?
More comfortable, more useful or longer-lasting than what is already out there. If not, we don’t make it.
Can we make it here?
Built in our workshop or by makers we know by name, from materials we can trace.
Can we keep it going?
Every part replaceable, every cover re-orderable, for as long as the object exists.
Oak, air-dried for a year before it is cut
II · Make to order
Nothing waits in a warehouse.
We build each object after it is ordered. It takes longer, and it means the finish, the cover and sometimes the size can be yours.
Made in advance
Made to order
Lead time
Days
6 to 8 weeks (sample)
Choice
What is in stock
Your finish and cover
Unsold stock
Discounted or discarded
There isn’t any
Sales
Seasonal
None
After purchase
Varies
Spare parts and repairs
A general comparison, not a claim about any specific retailer.
III · Keep it going
Every object comes with a way back.
We keep spare parts and patterns for everything we have made. Tell us what's worn and we'll collect it, fix it and bring it home.
New covers
Any year
Order a replacement seat or cushion cover in any current fabric.
Re-finishing
Every few years
Sanded back and re-oiled in the workshop, then returned.
Structural repair
When needed
Joints re-glued and parts replaced, collected from your home.
Sourcing
Where it comes from.
Six materials, six suppliers we know by name. Most are close enough to visit in a day, which is how we prefer it.
Supplier regions and distances are sample content, to be confirmed by the brand.
01
Oak and ash
FSC-certified forests within a day’s drive of the workshop.
Regional forests
90 km
02
Leather
A vegetable tannery using hides from the food industry.
Vegetable tannery
210 km
03
Wool and velvet
Two family-run mills; offcuts become cushion covers.
Two family mills
160 km
04
Steel and copper
Recycled content, finished by local metalworkers.
Local metalworkers
25 km
05
Stoneware
Thrown by a small pottery studio we have worked with since the start.
Pottery studio
40 km
06
Linen
Washed linen woven from European flax.
European flax
Imported
The best chair is the one you never need to replace.
Furniture and objects designed in-house and made to order in small batches.