Back to nature: discover the design studio where eco meets luxury
How one art studio is successfully combining traditional craftsmanship with computerised robotics to create objects of beauty
When it comes to our interior space – somewhere we’ve spent more time over the past two years than ever before – our choices often reflect or project certain aspects of ourselves and our lives. Channeling our innermost wants and needs, and what’s important to us. Reflecting how we want to live our lives, what’s missing, or what we’d like more of.
Perhaps unsurprisingly in the circumstances, having had so much time to reflect and take stock, a new approach has emerged. We’ve become more aware of our surroundings, how they impact on and affect us. We’re also more careful and considered about the products we buy – wanting to accumulate less, but invest more.
With this new conscious approach comes a hunger for quality over quantity and a value for craftsmanship, high quality materials and thoughtful design. As the old throwaway culture falls away, in its place grows a desire for a slower, more sustainable way of life. Natural, rustic designs that make a virtue of their materials, that bring a little of the outside in. Items crafted with care and attention, and an element of modernity, yet are very much made to last.
It’s with this ethic that Gareth Neal runs his art and craft studio in East London. A trained cabinet maker with a wealth of experience at hand-making crafts, Gareth sought a way to combine traditional methods and materials with more cutting edge design techniques, to create natural, rustic interior items with a sleek, modern twist.
He began experimenting with digital design, exploring how he could use emerging technologies to create unique pieces, distinct structures, while adhering to the values and craftsmanship of the past. Almost thirty-years on the Gareth Neal Studio is now hailed for its beautiful art pieces and sustainably produced furniture, all of which exude both originality, precision and care.
“We create objects with soul, for people to keep and cherish for their lifetime – and hopefully pass on to others,” explains Gareth. “Objects that, in theory, will never break – that are built to last. Things that are truly modern but have a little bit of tradition attached. Objects that you want to touch and feel.”
Such pride of work comes with the knowledge that the materials used – whether it be for artwork or furniture – are environmentally sound. In fact, Gareth ensures that only UK-sourced timbers – typically English Oak or Ash – are used. Meanwhile, much of the artwork is created from either waste or offcuts to reduce carbon production, an example of which is Gareth’s latest self-described “brutalist” collection of simple, minimalist furniture made from tree crowns and stumps.
“It’s only through my knowledge of hand making furniture and many years of experience using traditional techniques that I have been able to harness what I’ve learned within the digital realm,” shares Gareth. “Technology provides another tool in the armoury of a cabinet maker or craftsman – to make things in a way we have never made them before. It can create accuracy of form and precision of execution in a way the hand can’t always achieve. So it not only supports my craft but also enhance the objects I make.”
Of course, collaborating with some of the UK’s finest craftspeople is another reason for the studio’s success. Among them are embroidery and braiding expert, Aimee Betts, who creates intricate cupboard designs, while Orkney-based straw worker Kevin Gould creates beautiful, modern-meets-rustic chairs using traditional techniques. Elsewhere, Bill Amberg is their leather specialist, while Annemarie O’Sullivan, tends to the weaving of the willow. Each an expert in their own field, “the pieces simply wouldn’t be what they are without them,” acknowledges Gareth.
Finally, there is the ethos behind it all. ‘People, process, place’ are the three pillars of creation that has built a business based on originality and respect. “I just believe that if we think more deeply about the people who make the objects, and the processes that we use, and the environment, it will be much better for the world,” confides Gareth. “If one of my projects adheres to all three, then I know I have designed it correctly.”
Much like Gareth Neal, The Macallan also take great pride in high-quality British manufacturing, combining the finest ingredients and a sustainable production process to create a whisky of outstanding quality and distinctive character. The Macallan Double Cask range is available in The Whisky Exchange, The Whisky Shop, Waitrose and other premium retailers. Find out more at themacallan.com