DESIGNERS
Sean Dare
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Sean believes in creating furniture with purpose, that will enhance people’s lives.
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Growing up in Zambia allowed frequent visits to the markets where he looked forward to seeing all manner of crafts being made with a few rudimentary tools and a wealth of hand skills. This inspired him to try and do the same when he returned home.
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"Playing with form, model making and experimenting with materials are core to my creative development" says the British designer.
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​Sean initially thought he would become an engineer like his father however he found at an early age his passion was working with timber. He enrolled on to the Furniture Design and Business course at Bournemouth University led by Peter Miles of Miles & Carter. (A low-key giant of British furniture design.)
After graduation Sean worked as a design consultant for several well-respected manufacturers and retailers including Liberty, Heals, Conran, Herman Miller and Ercol.
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In 2010, Sean presented his first collection under his own banner at 100% Design, then shortly after at Milan furniture fair. The collection included the Katakana desk and chair which garnered instant global recognition.
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Sean has been awarded two Design Guildmark's for the Spline chair in 2012 and the Waldron dining table in 2017.
David Irwin
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David is an Industrial designer driven by a curiosity for how and why things are made. David's focus is rooted in material exploration and driven by a desire to assign purpose to both traditional and contemporary manufacturing processes. The goal with all of Irwin’s work is to combine a strong concept with fundamental usefulness.
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Born in N.Ireland in 1986, David graduated in Three Dimensional Design at Northumbria University in 2007. He completed a fellowship on the Designers in Residence initiative at Northumbria’s School of Design in 2010 and subsequently went on to establish his own Industrial design Studio in 2011.
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David was awarded the Design Guildmark for the Tor chair in 2015.
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Namon Gaston
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Namon designs and produces furniture for private clientele from his Edinburgh based studio. Alongside this he collaborates with industry brands designing furniture for volume production. His work has been recognised by the furniture industry, with several Design Guild Marks and Wood Awards. He creates designs which are elegant and unassuming, whilst maintaining essential requirements of practicality and comfort.
Namon graduated from Edinburgh College of Art in 2001 with a first class honours degree in Furniture Design. Building on this experience, Namon continued his development as an apprentice cabinetmaker in rural Scotland, honouring the traditional craftsmanship to which he is rooted. A self-taught CAD proficiency allows Namon to realise his designs carefully and precisely before beginning production or engaging with a manufacturer. A comprehensive understanding of his craft can be seen in Namon’s pieces – from conception to completion.
During his career as a furniture designer/maker he has specialised in seating.
“To me the chair has been a template for some of the most iconic designs of the 20th Century and continues to be a source of inspiration. It is an object that identifies with the times, the environment and the user.”
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Namon was awarded the Design Guildmark for the Oxbow chair in 2019.
James Melia
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James studied Maths and Physics at Loughborough University before gaining a First Class Honours Degree in Furniture and Product Design at Nottingham Trent University in 2010.
As a young designer he was inspired by the stars of the Modernist movement including Mies Van Der Rohe, Marcel Breuer, Bruno Munari and Hans Wegner.
James began his career as a creative director, managing design teams at international agencies for clients that span a number of sectors. These clients included some of the leading brands in electronics, telecoms and technology (Microsoft, Panasonic, Philips, LG, Samsung, Technics, Sony, Epson, TomTom, Mitsubishi, Fujitsu and Nokia) in aviation (Qatar Airways, Virgin Atlantic, B/E Aerospace) and many other sectors (including the likes of Technogym, Bosch, Dulux, Hasbro).
This varied portfolio won James a number of industry awards including Lighting Designer of the Year, a Red Dot Award, an IF Award, a Good Design Award, a European Product Design Award and was nominated for an Elle Decoration Product of the Year award.
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James founded and leads the Industrial design studio; Blond.