Homegirl London pays homage to Splinter Designs. This company was set up by Jacob Pugh in 2005. He makes wood furniture – bespoke handmade furniture for clients and designs for batch production. You may have seen the very cute wooden hand crafted bird ornaments Jacob makes. These are crafted from English Sycamore and Walnut wood which he finishes in metal leaf or a range of colours. Everything is made from wood using a combination of traditional techniques and contemporary design. I caught up with Jacob to find out more.
Splinter Designs – Bird Ornament in Black Walnut
Meet the Splinter Designs Owner
Jacob studied furniture design and craftsmanship at BCUC resulting in a BA (hons) degree. He went on to gain experience at a range of companies in and around London – Stewart Linford, Windmill and Isokon Plus. Jacob tells me that he decided to set up his business because – “I had a desire to work for myself, to allow me the freedom to design and create.”
Splinter Designs – Jacob Pugh
He called the company Splinter Designs because – “We predominately work with wood – hence the word ‘splinter’ and that a ‘splinter’ group breaks away from the mainstream to work independently.” Jacob tells me that the best thing about being your own boss is – “The freedom to shape the business as you like. Being driven and motivated because you want to do well rather than having to turn up at work and spend the day watching the clock or waiting for the weekend.”
View the Splinter Designs Collection
The Splinter Designs style is a combination of traditional craft and contemporary design. Jacob tells me – “We try to enhance the natural beauty of the wood and not overcrowd it with fussy detailing.” He draws his inspiration mainly from nature. With a workshop on the edge of the suburbs in York, Jacob is lucky enough to be surrounded by the countryside.
Splinter Designs – Bird Ornament in English Sycamore
The biggest seller for Splinter Designs is the bird ornament. It’s a handmade wooden bird made in English Sycamore and Black Walnut finished in a range of seven colours and two metal leaf finishes; gold and copper. Jacob tells me – “Birds are so fascinating to watch. They are so beautiful and playful but they’re very active and fast moving so you don’t get the chance to have a really close look. I always fancied holding one for a while to see it up close. With our ‘Bird’ ornament you can do this and they look best close up to appreciate the detail and form.”
Splinter Designs – Wooden Lounge Chair
Splinter Designs also makes a range of wooden furniture – “We offer a full bespoke furniture design and manufacturing service. This covers almost anything made in wood. We have worked a lot directly with clients, starting from a rough brief and we then create a concept and work that through to a finished piece. We also work with interior designers and architects who would often provide drawings of what they need and we produce the furniture for them.” His inspiration for furniture design comes from Hans Wegner – “I love the work of Hans Wegner and aspire to design a chair as beautiful as one of his.”
Splinter Designs – Wooden Desk
Buy Splinter Designs Products
You can buy these products from the website www.splinterdesigns.co.uk. Price guide: Bespoke furniture is priced on a job by job basis. Birds in colour are £29 and the metal leaf birds are £36.
Author: Homegirl London. Photography: Splinter Designs. Thanks: Jacob Pugh.
