Steel is at the very core of our creations. Tom has found a great deal of inspiration in the material itself – equal parts strength and mutability. It allows us to work with razor-sharp precision, water-cutting, rolling, and welding great sheets of steel into strong yet sculptural furniture. Once we’ve got the form down, there are various directions we can go with the finish. It’s quite remarkable how differently steel can look based on its treatment, whether that’s a simple powder coat of colour or a more involved trip to the blacksmith’s forge. To get a sense of the many sides to steel, join us in exploring a few captivating expressions of its endless adaptability…

 

Powder-Coated Steel

 

Each of our standard finishes starts with steel as a base. We’ll then powder-coat the metal to achieve an even, opaque colour across the entirety of the piece. Some colourways like ‘Bronze’ have a classically metallic effect, while others like the ‘Ocean Blue’ shown here on our Memphis round coffee table have a contemporary, refreshing feel. Our full array of options has been developed in-house to suit our furniture beautifully, delivering a neat and clean end result.

 

 

Hand-Painted Steel

 

In the case of our specialist finishes, we take an even more hands-on approach. These are each formulated by our own team, who painstakingly combine metal powders to produce alchemical effects. Each finish is unique to us. Our ‘Florentine Gold’ finish, shown here on the Lily ottoman, brings glittering gold overtones to a more mellow, brassy base, producing an antiqued effect. Each specialist finish is painted onto the steel by hand to ensure a balanced, characterful display.

 

Polished Stainless Steel

 

Our new Skye collection showcases the splendour of stainless steel in full effect. The material is polished to produce a ‘Satin’ finish, stopping shy of perfect reflectivity to retain a hint of haze. We find this finish is perfectly suited to the Skye form, emphasising the smooth curves and crisp edges of these highly sculptural pieces.

 

 

Corten Weathering Steel

 

Corten weathering steel allows us to unleash Tom’s designs into the great outdoors. It’s a fantastically robust material which gains character over time and exposure. It takes on a rich hue with hints of irregularity which chronicle its time amidst the elements. We find it’s especially effective in the case of geometric pieces like the Arizona needle, which works wonderfully in a garden setting. We can, however, use it to build various furniture designs, adapting them to suit an al fresco environment.

 

 

Hammered Steel

 

Our use of hammered steel is unique to our Cloud collection. Each piece starts with spears of steel, which are hammered to add texture and refine form. In the case of our Cloud coffee table, each spear tapers towards the floor, introducing a certain elegance to these elemental forms. Here steel, in its hammered form, becomes reminiscent of ancient artefacts like obsidian arrowheads. It’s rugged to a degree, yet hewn with intentionality.

 

 

Textured Steel

 

Our ‘Moon’ finish is a matter of transforming steel through heating, cooling, and hammering. We’ve harnessed traditional blacksmithing methods to create a weathered yet modern effect which works beautifully on our ‘Kintsugi’ Cloud console table. These processes are undertaken in careful succession, causing the steel to disarticulate like flakes of shale only to be reintegrated, producing a craggy effect reminiscent of the moon’s surface. It’s rich and textural, yet sleek and monochromatic, sitting perfectly within our collection of contemporary furniture designs.

 

 

 

 

Text by Annabel Colterjohn