THE STORY(so far)
All mapped out.......
With the benefit of hindsight, it's a linear journey that all makes sense. From arty / crafty school subjects to buying for a builder's merchants, I learned of balancing my pencil in one hand, my clipboard in the other - neat lines, big ideas, lists and feasibility.
Choosing City and Guilds Furniture Crafts at the
London College of Furniture piqued interest in design and architectural history as well as sowing the seeds of a fine appreciation of honest craft.
The most respected degree course for furniture designer makers in the world, gifted me a strong research gene, an eye for detail and quality of finish, and obsessive attributes that help me stick to the plan and deliver.
Exciting times........
Designing, making and installing bespoke fitted furniture in the simmering hubs of Hoxton, Shorditch, Clerkenwell and Islington.
The blossoming loft culture of the early noughties allowed me play nicely with straight lines, where the old ones wavered; modern, clinical finishes in amongst richely textured industrial heritage.
Integral lighting ruled the roost - I had to find ways to conceal fluorescent tubes with coloured filter sleeves. A young city banker alerted me to LED colour change lighting, which I used in curved white niches to highlight beautiful cast iron columns. We're so over that now.....
Fashion is a harsh judge; the 3-strip oak floors look so dated now (when most want wide planks), and who will want quite so many CD's on show ever again? But many aspects hold firm and stand the test of time - Marcel Breuer's brilliant Wassily Lounge chair is seldom unwelcome.
Two loves........
Good food AND good design. All in one room. Heaven.
I spent 10 years designing and project managing in the bespoke kitchen industry in both
London and Bristol.
Designing for a high end studio in London, I experienced beautiful Italian styling alongside German ergonomics and simple efficiency.
Moving to Bristol, I created a cutting edge, truly bespoke kitchen business in Bristol, pushing boundaries; designing handle-less furniture systems when few others were, urging matt finishes when everyone went glossy, loving greys with yellow metals in 2009!!!
Increasingly often, I found myself suggesting the moving and building of walls, windows, changes to architects plans - I could see it all and I could see what could be, if only I could get my hands on the ground floor layout.
As brilliant and educational as the kitchen industry was for my career, I made one crucial discovery.........
It's cut-throat ..... and I'm not.
A Broad Church....
So here I am, as happy producing specification details and technical drawings for complicated cabinet construction, as I am helping clients determine the best finish for the roof of their extension. I've become a rounded designer with many strings to my bow and a love for reconfiguring space.
One thing that has become clear, is that I want to work inclusively - I love producing great results for clients in a small Victorian terrace, just as much as I like re-jigging the layout of a penthouse. The budgets are different, for sure, the products may vary, but the quality of response should always be on a par.
PEOPLE SAY THE NICEST THINGS......
"Matt brought our architect's plans to life, transforming them into a design for a functional, stylish living space. He took time to tease out how the whole family would use the space and constructively challenged our initial ideas, making innovative suggestions on both design and materials."
Amanda Webb