‘Design is the embodiment of a culture, of a mindset, of values.’ Ilse Crawford is a London based designer, academic and creative director with a simple mission to put human needs and desires at the centre of all that she does. As founder of Studioilse, together with her multi-disciplinary team, she brings her philosophy to life. This means creating environments where humans feel comfortable; public spaces that make people feel at home and homes that are habitable and make sense for the people who live in them. It means designing furniture and products that support and enhance human behaviour and actions in everyday life.
In July 2019, SCP present an edit of furniture and home objects by Ilse Crawford at our Pimlico Road showroom. On this occasion, we hosted a talk between Duncan Riches and Ilse Crawford, where they discussed Ilse’s unique approach to design.
The SCP exhibition at our Pimlico Road showroom includes Holocene for Wästberg, Normal Special for Lobmeyr, Nurture for Skultuna, Seating For Eating for De La Espada, The Ilse Collection for Georg Jensen, as well as Touch for Zanat. Read on to find out more about each range of designs and visit the exhibition until 27 July.
A universal drinking set that elevates the everyday. The drinking glass is offered in a series of glass thicknesses in the same design. The series of three glasses range from delicate to robust and explore the subtle, tactile differences perceived through the weight and rim thickness. Each variation changes the experience of drinking a liquid, lending itself to different uses and individual preference. The pieces share the same fluid, organic forms that shape this collection.
The Nurture collection for Skultuna consists of a brass watering can as well as a selection of brass and ceramic plant pots that respond to the growing desire to bring plants and greenery into our homes or workspaces. They are a daily reminder to give attention to our plants. In particular, the watering can celebrates and elevates what can be a tedious task, bringing happiness through repeated use. Brass has been chosen to reflect light and its surroundings. Ceramics in black and green create an earthy foil for your pet plants. These materials will age beautifully and witness ‘time’ in their appearance.
The Seating for Eating collection for De La Espada brings people together. A family of furniture comprised of settles, benches and stools that encourages people to push up and squeeze in together. The settle is high backed for comfort and privacy, without being closed off from the room. It’s open and intimate at the same time, with wraparound arms that give a feeling of warmth. The designs are carefully detailed and reassuringly familiar, in part inspired by archetypal English vernacular furniture, which in its time was a practical stripped back solution to a social need.
Comprising a set of universal objects that frame simple daily acts and rituals, the Ilse collection translates the fluid lines of Georg Jensen into physical forms with soul and character. The Mama vase has been chosen to join the brand’s iconic Masterpiece collection.
Touch is a collection of universal benches, trays and table lamps. Their special quality lies in the carved surfaces that engage our instinctive impulse to feel something, and reflect our hunger for more tactile surroundings in the digital age. The pieces are made in Bosnia Herzegovina using Zanat’s particular wood carving skills, with the company having been inscribed on the UNESCO Intangible Cultural Heritage of Humanity List in 2017.
The Holocene series of oil lamps are created to be light sources that don’t require electricity. Made from brass, the Holocene has a rounded base and a high shine finish which reflects the light produced by the flame. The collection is named after the Holocene period, the geological epoch just before the current Anthropocene saw humans begin to impact the earth’s ecosystems.
