With summer in full bloom, there’s a technicoloured world of natural wonders bursting up around us. Tom draws much of his inspiration from nature, taking cues from its soft undulating lines, biomorphic forms, and vibrant colours. Over his 25 years’ worth of creations, there are a few that stand out as true odes to the outdoors. They’re a wonderful way to capture the ebullience of summer and keep it close by as the seasons turn. So, we hope you’ll read on for a bit of nature-inflected interior inspiration…

 

Cloud

Our shapely Cloud motif has morphed into many forms over the years. It’s informed by the nebulous irregularity of clouds as they drift across the sky. As a mirror, it’s a charmingly off-kilter accent piece, which beautifully expresses the care and craftsmanship that goes into everything we make. The crisp lines of the curving frame can be finished in classic tones like our signature Florentine Gold. Or you can make a true statement using one of our technicoloured Butterfly finishes with bright and beautiful colours melting one into the other in a smooth, ombre fashion. Emphasise the natural roots of this organically shaped mirror by hanging it in a landscape format, or position it in a portrait orientation as a modern full-length mirror.

In its Coffee Table form, the Cloud shape takes centre stage as an expanse of marble. We find that drawing on rich natural materials like marble adds to the narrative of a design that’s so charged with its organic origins. The meandering shape of the tabletop brings a beautiful softness to a space which is tempered by handcrafted legs that taper towards the floor. Each one is made individually using traditional blacksmithing techniques, hammering the form down and leaving captivating groves along the length. They create a tactile effect, showcasing the beauty of metal in a raw, characterful light.

We’ve recently adapted our Cloud design into a bespoke Étagère for art gallery, Pangolin London. We worked together to create a functional piece that would both support and frame their stunning array of art objects for Masterpiece Art Fair. We were really taken by the result, which places an emphasis on the Cloud shape as it encases clear glass shelves. The blacksmithed legs of the coffee table iteration were reimagined as towering spears, which left the intricates of the craftsman’s process on full display.

 

Papillon

The Papillon design borrows aesthetic elements from a couple of natural beauties. In its earliest form, it was inspired by cracks scrawling across the surface of rock formations in California’s Joshua Tree. Tom was taken by these wandering lines, photographing and tracing them until they began to take form as everything from dining tables to drinks trolleys.

From there, the concept grew. Tom infused elements of the exquisitely symmetrical, vibrantly coloured wings of butterflies. This informed a shift in how he imagined the Papillon pieces’ coloration. With the help of our workshop team, he formulated five cascading Butterfly finishes to further evoke the natural points of inspiration encased in these designs. These bold and bright finishes continue to expand across our collection, spreading a bit of natural beauty as they go.

The Papillon form has been shrunken down to neat proportions as a stool. On a smaller scale, the sinuous lines intermingle and overlap, creating a rich canvas of airy, yet intricate form. Top it off with tactile materials like shearling, velvet, or leather to temper the crisply cut curves of the metalwork below.

Our Papillon Screen unfolds like the wings of a butterfly to reveal opalescent pockets of colour. Pools of tinted light are cast through dichroic glass panes, embellishing the effect of the symmetrically patterned panels. The result is a touch of nature-inspired design that brings a functional boost to its environment as a feature piece which defines distinctive zones in an open plan.

 

Lily

The wobbly silhouette of floating lily pads is the basis of Tom’s Lily design. The amorphous shape with its smooth, wandering edges has got an aqueous, almost puddle-like look to it. In its metal form, it takes on vibrant colours like Pea Green as it sprouts up amidst a garden’s foliage. In Murano glass the Lily top has got a wavy, irregular quality that distorts light as it flows through Lemon Yellow or Rose Pink tints. Opt for a swirling, multi-toned marble top like Rosso Luana to showcase the richness of earthly materials in their natural state.

As a Coffee Table, the Lily design is given space to shine on a greater scale. It’s especially beautiful with a top of White Onyx, which comes alive as the light of day hits the surface. The semi-translucent quality of the stone reveals veins and subtle variations in opacity, as well as the meandering silhouette of the base beneath.

If you’re just dipping your toes into a nature-inspired interior scheme, you can inject Lily shaped accents to provide a lift to everyday touchpoints like your dresser or desk. Our Lily Door Handles come in an understated Ocean Blue playing on the liquiform theme of the shape. Or you can opt for an eye-catching Polished Bronze that provides a small but mighty contemporary lift.

Whether you go big with the prismatic wings of the Papillon Screen or start with compact bursts of natural motifs like our Lily Door Handles, bringing a bit of nature-inspired design into your home can create a very uplifting energy. These unexpected silhouettes and vibrant pops of colour are true talking points in an interior, carrying with them the richness of the wild world beyond your walls.

 

 

 

Text by Annabel Colterjohn