Project Description
I studied Furniture making in Glasgow and High Wycombe and during this time one of the design ideas that excited me was to design furniture which would reflect something of Shetlands culture and landscape. In Glasgow, the most famous local architect and furniture designer was Charles Rennie MacKintosh. After I first moved to Glasgow I didn’t even know who he was much to the surprise and shock of my entire class!! The look of where have you come came over there faces. Well, growing up on a remote croft in Shetland why would you know about an Art Nouveau designer.
The funny thing is that because of growing up on a farm surrounded by nature I was immersed in the visual aesthetic of this style. Art Nouveau took its inspiration from natural forms and structures from flowers, plants and curved shaped. I thought it would be interesting to blend the Art Nouveau design aesthetic with the natural shapes that I had seen every day in my childhood. The idea that then evolved was to take the shapes of animals and nature from Shetland and blend this into the furniture design. The pony chest was my first eureka moment for this design style. The shape of a Shetland pony creates an exciting flowing form for a chest. it is also very practical and doubles as a blanket box and our cat’s favourite sleeping spot on her sheepskin rug.
They are made to order. The standard materials are quality American oak legs and lid and ash veneered sides for a combination strength and stability and stunning grain patterns.
Available from £1250
