The human touch is a key element in every piece we make. We’re very fortunate to have a talented team in our Wilshire workshop who make each design by hand, imparting a sense of warmth and character as they do. Our specialist finishes are a beautiful expression of this sense of individuality, offering the opportunity to customise our furniture to suit you and your space. Building up these rich surfaces takes time and artistry, but thankfully we’ve got just the people for the job in our specialist finishes department.
Memphis Round Coffee Table in Persian Silver (left) + Papillon Side Table in Florentine Gold (right)
Tools from the Specialist Finishes Department
The magic takes place in a dedicated loft-like space, set apart from the action of welding and hammering. The specialist finishes team set up shop in a glass-roofed space filled with natural light to get the tones of these surfaces just right. We string white sheet covers up to filter the light and get the perfect balance to produce these carefully calibrated colours.
Each specialist finish starts off in the same way as our standard options. Our classic Charcoal, Bronze, or Ocean Blue finishes are created through a powder coating process. They’re forged in steel before being showered with electronically charged particles of colour that fuse to the surface evenly. The finish is then baked into the steel in our kiln, at which point it’s set and ready to be enjoyed.
Our specialist finishes take the process quite a few steps further. Once the piece is out of the kiln, it’s sanded down to create an ideal surface to take on a carefully mixed elixir of powdered colours and varnish. To create our most popular specialist finish, Florentine Gold, our team will dab a brush into the varnish before picking up powdered gold. They’ll wipe away any excess, getting the ideal balance of colour and varnish on the brush before applying it to the surface. They’ll build the colour up, layer after layer, repeating the process. They’ll work in other powdered tones like burnt umber to give the piece a sense of depth and richness. Once they’ve created the effect to satisfaction, they’ll seal it in with a layer of clear varnish, left to dry and then repeated once again to ensure a robust, lasting effect.
Depending on the size and complexity of the piece, this alchemical process runs the course of a day. The results are well worth the time and effort, creating distinctive furniture that reflects its handmade origins. We have a wealth of specialist finishes available, and each member of the team has got a favourite. Martina is fan of our Florentine Gold; others cast their votes for Old Brass and Persian Silver. We do receive a lot of requests for Bronze and Rose Gold as well, which are the most difficult finishes to get right. Fortunately, the team has got experience and patience on their side, following each and every finish through to perfection.
Martina at work on a bespoke Round Melrose Étagèr in Florentine Gold (left) + Ariel Side Table in Florentine Gold with a Calacatta Oro top (right)
You can have a closer look at all of our specialist finishes here, along with further information on all of the materials we use. We’re also no stranger to bespoke furniture and invite you to get in touch with any ideas of your own! We always welcome the opportunity to take on new challenges in partnership with our clients, creating something entirely new and unique. If you’d like to see our finishes for yourself, please drop by our Chelsea showroom or get in touch to order samples. It would be our pleasure to walk you through the full chromatic cornucopia of options!
Text by Annabel Colterjohn