I visited Benchmark Furniture this week for the latest instalment of their ‘Toolbox Talks’. A wonderful series of lectures for interior designers, where visiting makers and designers talk through their design and production processes.
This time Edward Bulmer demonstrated historical pigments in paints, and the production of environmentally friendly, but high-performing paints. The ingredients within modern paints have a large impact on how they perform, but also on the interior environment after the paints have been used.
Eleanor Pritchard showed some of her fantastic fabric designs. Inspired by architecture and mid-century design, she designs and produces a striking range of interior accessories and upholstery fabrics. She gave us a fascinating insight into the process of weaving these fabrics, and how that process also contributes to the design and of course the finished products.
Finally Sean Sutcliffe of Benchmark guided us through metal finishes, and the specification and patination of these finishes. In the workshop we were treated to a demonstration of pewter being worked, as they completed a number of pieces for London’s Royal Opera House.
The talks were fascinating – we were shown so much and I’ll share some more with you when I get a moment!
