Back to Journal

British craftsmanship: 5 makers, designers and brands you need to know

Crafts are the backbone of interior design and artistry. Meet the revolutionary work of the UK’s modern craftsmen.

Stride&Co Stride & Co craftsmen crafting
Stride&Co at work
British craftsmanship: 5 makers, designers and brands you need to know
Clara Carlino de Paz
September 26, 2022

Oops! Something went wrong while submitting the form.
This article was originally posted on Making Space, a Substack penned by our Cofounder, Matteo Grand. Subscribe below to receive more content just like this.

We often talk about designers, architects, and suppliers, but rarely do we give the limelight to the craftsmen making designs come to life. And that has to change. We love the value, individuality and charm craftsmen bring to an ever more mass-produced world, and it’s about time we recognise them. 

In this article, we’ll highlight some of our favourite makers, designers and brands right now. If you’d like to be considered for the next edition, why not join our community? We love meeting new people in the interiors industry.

01. Stride & Co

Rory Stride founded the boutique furniture production studio Stride & Co in 2017. Along with a wide and constantly evolving range of Stride & Co furniture, the studio also creates bespoke furniture for interior designers and private clientele. Their goal is to create furniture that can be used in both current and future generations' homes. In one word: timeless. 

02. Kyra Cane

Kyra is a ceramics artist. The materials she uses are complex and of the highest quality, including porcelain clay, stain, oxides, glaze, paper, paint, ink, crayons, pastels, graphite and charcoal. But the tools and equipment she uses lean on their simplicity and strength, such as throwing wheels, ribs, wires, scales, bins, buckets, boards, brushes and kilns. Her work is abstract, based on drawings of langscapes reduced to their most elemental form.

03. Christabel Balfour

Tapestry weaver and artist Christabel resides and works in East London. She completed her education at the Ruskin School of Drawing and Fine Art and Camberwell College of Art. She established her studio in 2015 after setting up her tapestry weaving business in the years after her graduation in 2013. She specialises in weaving wall hangings and carpets.

04. Dharma Taylor

London-based Dharma is a versatile designer with roots in menswear and textiles. Her work has changed over time, moving from menswear to furniture and home textiles. Her work has been been shown by a variety of national and international organisations and galleries including the Benaki Museum in Athens, Shibuya City Tokyo, the V&A and Tate Britain. 

05. Zoë Wilson

Zoë is a stone-mason based in Hampshire. She is renowned for the unique skills with stone, and her recurring motifs of geometry and repetition. Her work is mesmerising and totally unique, yet strongly attached to traditional methods and aesthetics. 

Thanks for reading! If you enjoyed this article, subscribe to our weekly newsletter for exclusive interiors content.