We look at three new pieces that show a true depth of understanding of furniture design.
Matthew Hilton is SCP’s longest serving designer. He created one of SCP’s very first manufactured designs in 1985 (the Swan and Zig Zag candlesticks), the iconic and career defining Balzac armchair in 1991 (which was also SCP’s first upholstery piece) and he reinvented a classic form to create the Oscar sofa in 2009; which was SCP’s most popular piece for a decade. His knowledge, experience and expertise have been invaluable to SCP and he continues to produce outstanding pieces for us.
For 2020, as part of the One Room Living exhibition, we are delighted to see three new designs. The first of which is Telford, an easy chair with a cantilevered arm and back section that is based on an early SCP design. The second is Cooper, a beautifully made wooden occasional table that utilises the best in craft and advanced manufacturing techniques. The third is a new sofa version of Colemore, an open armed upholstered chair first inspired by an Edwardian chair typology.
The starting point for Telford was a chair Hilton designed for SCP in the late 1980s. Revisiting the typology, this new design has been developed with comfort and ease of manufacture in mind. Well proportioned, composed and with gentle curves throughout, the chair has an upholstered seat and back, with a powder-coated tubular steel frame.
Cooper is a carefully proportioned design with beautiful details, all of which have been informed by either function or the construction methods used. It is made from solid wood planks and the circular top and base both feature a raised edge. It’s a design about total simplicity, created with a range of domestic activities in mind. The Cooper side table is easy to move around with an elegant construction. Cooper comes in American Walnut, with a natural oil finish and is made in the EU using advanced wood manufacturing techniques.
Matthew Hilton excels in upholstery design, his freehand approach and depth of understanding of the materials in play allow him to create refined sculptural pieces that have real strength of character. This piece has a very modern attitude, but was inspired by the many examples of open armed chair and sofa designs from the Victorian and Edwardian period. Hilton has utilised the traditional techniques available at the SCP specialist upholstery factory to create a design that has subtle curves and a striking silhouette. Made at SCP’s specialist upholstery factory in Norfolk, England, using sustainable materials (90% natural materials).
As with all SCP upholstery pieces, Colemore is made by hand at our specialist upholstery in Norfolk and comes with a lifetime guarantee on the frame.
Find out more about SCP’s London Design Festival exhibition, One Room Living.
