The request to design a piece of furniture for the International Furniture Show was hard to resist. The brief was simple and required us to showcase the innovative design skills and creative manufacturing of the West Midlands, to an international audience.
To design with complete freedom is a luxury and a privilege but it is not without its concerns. You have the opportunity to create something special, something unique, but will you have the stroke of genius, that moment of inspiration that provides the spark to create a design classic?
A design competition was instigated with all members of the company’s design team being invited to submit their ideas. After many hours of consultation and debate the winning idea was fantastic, the challenge though, was immense, how to transform a functional table into a work of art. Was it possible to devise an efficient mechanism that would be both quick and simple to alternate between the two forms?
Design can be a solitary process, we have found that opening our ideas to colleagues can add that extra dimension; a fresh set of eyes can often see the piece in an unexpected way opening up new avenues with a fresh perspective. We are all inspired by the challenge of creating something new that takes us beyond a merely satisfactory solution to something unique, beautiful and unexpected.
We entered a collaborative period where mechanisms were discussed, ideas drawn up and prototypes built. Some ideas were impractical, others showed promise and eventually, the craftsmen and designers created a system that worked, which in keeping with all the best design is simple, elegant and inspired.
Design is a mysterious pursuit, often, both lengthy and frustrating, but it is the investment in this fundamental art that gives true worth and justifies the expense of a bespoke commission.
Revolver is a triumph of creativity and craftsmanship.
