Tuesday 29 April 2014

Having it made.

As a designer I have always been surrounded by craftsmen, workshops and studios. I find these places  amazing to visit, they help paint a picture of the process that is undertaken by the maker. This love of the process is where I have gained the knowledge to be able to have things made. There are three main criteria in getting a product made.  Solid concept and design, knowledge of materials and having the right person make it. Over the past 20 years I have learned and continue to learn from the makers I know, this knowledge has taught me two key skills in the designing and making process.  One is knowing how things are made, two is being able to ask the right questions of the maker in order to have your design made.
The images below are of products I made for a company in North London called Mail plus More. The budget on this job was tight and being that the company was involved in post and packages, cardboard was the way to go. These hand made products are not as refined as many of the products we see today, but it is this that gives them their character and soul.
If you have an idea or need something made please contact me, you will not believe what can be achieved.










Tuesday 15 April 2014

10 cool wood dining tables.

Wooden dining tables are really special. With a solid top that can be a canvas to daily life, with its stains, dents and marks all telling stories. When you first buy the table they look crisp and clean, good enough to eat off, after years of use they look even better full of character and rich with hue, like a good wine. These are some of the wooden tables I would love to sit at and enjoy a good  meal with great company.











Tuesday 1 April 2014

Makoko floating school by NLE'

NLE' architects started by Kunle' Adeyemi have come up with this very African way of developing structures in regions with little infrastructure and prone to flooding. This prototype is for a school in the slum district of Makoko in Lagos. I love this approach to a problem, low tech allowing for any able bodied person to apply this method to improve their own home, and what a great place to go to school. All pictures are from Dezeen.