Made in Britain: Tom Faulkner

Tom Faulkner promises that he wasn’t ‘channelling The Cure’ when he commissioned some Gothic-style metal chairs in the early 1990s from a workshop in Swindon. ‘They were for an exhibition. It was a bit of a departure from what I’d been doing, which was applying colourful and graphic stencil patterns to furniture. Then, I discovered metalwork and became entranced by its possibilities.’ Without any formal training in design, he bought the workshop from its owners on their retirement and took on its two employees. Twenty years later, they’re still part of the team at Tom’s new, larger premises.

Today, the designer is known for silky-smooth consoles, coffee tables and chairs, all imbued with his signature of restrained silhouettes and elegant, sinuous lines. Metals of all colours and finishes form the collection and they’re water cut to ensure that the finish is as exact as possible. ‘I tend to avoid unnecessary complications or ornamental additions. I rely on getting the proportions and the lines right.’

His early work was cheered on by interior-design stalwarts such as Mary Fox Linton and now the showroom on Lots Road in Chelsea is known as somewhere to go if you’re looking for a piece that’s distinctive and contemporary. ‘But it’s not in any way frightening,’ explains Tom. ‘For a long time, glass-and-metal furniture was the domain of the country-house conservatory, but pieces such as our Capricorn dining table work in any environment because the proportions are Classical, even if the materials are contemporary.’

For more information, telephone 020–7351 7272 or visit www.tomfaulkner.co.uk