Spotlight is a special corner of Buonfresco, our subscriber newsletter, in which we invite a creative person whose work we love to answer questions tied to a theme. Our autumn/winter edition’s theme was all about The Beauty of Nature and our guest was the excellent Tom Faulkner. Originally sent out in November 2023 - a little late in sharing here on the Journal.

Tom Faulkner rectangular Papillon coffee table in Ulysses Blue.

Tom Faulkner is a self-taught furniture designer and creative thinker who established his eponymous company over 20 years ago. With two showrooms in London, on Lots Road and Pimlico Road, and a recently opened offering in New York, the world is Tom's oyster! His creations even had a Hollywood moment in the recent Barbie film. Each piece is beautifully designed, crafted, and finished by his team, mostly in his Wiltshire workshop which is aptly situated on the site of Isambard Kingdom Brunel's railway works. A heritage of industry, creativity, boldness and strength aplenty.

Together with his CEO, Miranda Kirwan, Tom has organically evolved the TomFaulkner company, focusing on furniture since 2008. He is a master of forming metal into elegant, simple, striking and sculptural forms, and his use of glass, wood, and marble - and patina and colour - is equally captivating. Materiality and silhouette are key. Lines are bold and clean. Motifs are distinctive and proportions considered. Colours are sensitively chosen. From tables and chairs, to drinks trolleys and plinth sculptures, bookshelves and mirrors, there is a strong chance you will have seen one of his designs round-and-about.

Many of Tom's pieces have their roots in the natural world and celebrate its materials. Designs are often inspired by elements of nature and sightings absorbed on his travels. The Lily cocktail table (pictured in this month's Favourites) is one we love, and the powder coated Papillon tables are truly as vibrant and eye-catching as the butterflies that inspired them.

Blending beautiful forms, materials and natural inspiration perfectly, we are thrilled to welcome Tom to this month's Spotlight to hear his responses to our questions all about the beauty of nature.

1 | What does nature mean to you?

Something to be cherished, preserved, and admired.

2 | How does nature influence or inspire you as a person?

I am inspired by everything - buildings, landscapes, sculpture, even the cracks in the pavement. But nature is a huge inspiration, I love to walk and think, and I love the winter when the trees start to reveal the structure and formation of their branches - often so intricate and always beautifully arranged :)

Lily cocktail tables with Venetian Murano cast glass tops.

3 | How has nature influenced or inspired your designs and process?

I have travelled to America, Asia, Europe, Africa, and the Arctic, and have been influenced in different ways by all of them. I designed our “Edge” dining table after visiting the Arctic, which was a suitably austere and monochromatic design, in its first iteration.

Our best-selling Lily collection was inspired by Japanese Lily pads.

4 | Top 3 places in nature for day trips or to admire from afar?

I love the coast around Dungeness with its enormous shingle beaches, it’s a real gem and an easy trip from London. Crisp, bleak, and beautiful.

The White Horse Hill on the Ridgeway in Oxfordshire is close to our workshop and is a wonderful day trip. Steeped in history with the Iron Age Fort, Weyland’s Smithy, and the White Horse itself – a breathtaking artwork. And Dragon Hill, said to be the site where St. George, England's patron saint, slew the dragon.

And I spend a lot of time on the North Coast of Devon, where the cliff walks are set in a rugged pre-historic landscape, protected by the National Trust.

5 | Favourite colours in nature?

Nothing beats autumn, wherever you are!

6 | Your favourite natural materials to work with and celebrate?

We work a lot with marble which is often stunning, and thought-provoking - it’s hundreds of thousands of years in the making…

Tom Faulkner Lily stools and beach shape.

7 | How has travel to natural environments abroad influenced your designs and process?

One of our most successful collections - Papillon - was inspired by the interstitial lines of the boulders I saw in Joshua Tree National Park in California. The collection was initially just called “Boulder” and then it became “Papillon” – and it changed as we worked on it - like a butterfly emerging from a chrysalis :).

And British butterflies inspired the finishes that we created for the collection, and the iridescence of butterfly wings inspired the use of dichroic film under the glass. It makes the colour of the glass change depending on the light and the angle of view, so it will change as you walk around the piece.

8 | Wise words/ a favourite quote/ mantra?

Our motto at work is “There’s always a way”… which there normally is.

Tom Faulkner Vienna carver dining chair, on the beach shoot for their 2023 lookbook.

SEE MORE

You can follow Tom's Instagram for behind the scenes content, news and lots of beautiful photos of their designs. And visit the Tom Faulkner website to view the full collection and catalogue. Lots to explore and marvel at.

“The richness I achieve comes from Nature, the source of my inspiration.”

— Monet

The Aster Muro Journal - Creative Inspiration and Updates

SPOTLIGHT / Tom Faulkner, Designer