CELEBRATING TWENTY-FIVE YEARS
Metallic Dreams Tom Faulkner started his business in 1996. Over the past twenty-five years it has grown into one of the most respected makers and creators of all things metallic and beautiful. Tom’s work is characterised by elegant lines, distinctive motifs, bold juxtapositions of materials, and high-quality finishes. Almost everything in the collection is made by his dedicated and talented team and is sold around the world. While the company has changed considerably in the last twenty-five years its values have not. It remains creative, bold, distinctive, honest, and friendly.
Tom, founder and creator We have created this brochure to mark our twenty-fifth anniversary. It is a celebration of creativity, design, material, and craftsmanship, as well as teamwork and ambition. Reflecting on the past I feel privileged to have been working in such a creative environment, with so many great people. Not just my own team, but all of the wonderful people who have supported us over the years. Looking to the future I want to keep the spirit of what we have started alive. Manufacturing in the UK has always been important to me, and I am never happier than when meeting our customers, whether it’s in the workshop or in our showroom. This brochure shows some of my favourite designs, and is a testament to what we have achieved together over the years.
When Tom met Nigel
The King’s chair (1993)
Tom started designing furniture in the early 1990s and it was around that time he met Nigel Ballamy, then working for a small metal-fabrication workshop in Wiltshire. Tom approached him to make two metal chairs for a project he was working on. The result was the King’s chair - above. Tom knew then, not only that he had found someone special, but also that he had found the material that he wanted to work with. “Metal was an amazing discovery for me, I was thrilled by its strength, versatility, and simplicity” Tom says, “and Nigel was brilliant in understanding what I was trying to do.” Nigel has stayed with Tom ever since and remains a key part of the Tom Faulkner set up. He is Chief Engineer and responsible for bringing Tom’s designs to life.
When Tom met Miranda
Tom was joined in 2004 by Miranda Kirwan. With a sales and marketing background she immediately started to increase sales and to grow the business. She is now CEO of the business, and she has played a vital part in its journey. Her command of detail, her tenacity and her creative thinking are huge assets that have been key in ensuring the company continues to delight its customers around the world.
Made in Swindon Our workshop in Swindon, Wiltshire is the heart of the business. It is in the original Great Western Railway Workshops, built by Isambard Kingdom Brunel in the 1830s - a fitting homage to perhaps one of the UK’s greatest ever metal-workers. We are committed to manufacturing in the UK. Some of the team have been working with Tom for many years, showing precious levels of dedication. They have acquired a wealth of experience and a depth of knowledge that is unrivalled.
Working with either steel, bronze, brass, or aluminium, attention to detail is paramount at every stage of the design and manufacturing processes.
Our finishing is second to none, whether we are powder-coating, painting, specialist finishing, gilding, polishing, or patinating. We have developed all of our specialist and antique finishes ourselves and they are unique to us. They are applied by hand using metal powders, varnishes, and pigment.
Tom: “I believe in the richness of visual simplicity: there might often be complex geometry at work but most of what I create looks strong, clean and unfussy. The quality of any piece is in the line, proportion, and detail.” The hallmarks of Tom’s designs are clean elegant lines, and strong distinctive silhouettes, along with finishes that bring out the beauty of the underlying materials. Having his own workshop allows Tom to be actively engaged throughout the design process. He has a small team around him, and together they make and prototype new pieces, making as many iterations as necessary to get it absolutely right.
“Design is in the Making”
Designs for Life Following are some of our favourite and best-selling pieces. Some are old and some are new, showing a mixture of materials steel, bronze, marble, glass and wood. Some are inspired by art or nature, others by travel. All of them are built for life.
Capricorn Capricorn is one of the very first tables that Tom designed. It is distinctive and sculptural, with bold curves and elegant lines creating a timeless silhouette.
Tiffany The Tiffany chair, designed in 2005 is beautifully elegant and extremely comfortable - with tapered legs and a slender cut-away back.
Lily This playful, organic shape was inspired by Japanese water lilies.
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Ava A circular top floats above two intriguingly linked tetrahedrons. The apparent simplicity of this table belies the complex geometry at its heart.
The flowing, undulating lines of Memphis are perfectly balanced - giving it a beautiful rhythm and energy.
Exe With a solid wooden top spanning two elegant steel crosses Exe is a modern take on a traditional refectory table.
Edge Inspired by American sculptor Richard Serra’s “House of Cards”, Edge is elemental - made of just three pieces of plate steel, and a sheet of glass.
The flowing, undulating lines of Memphis are perfectly balanced - giving it a beautiful rhythm and energy.
Memphis The flowing, undulating lines of Memphis are perfectly balanced, giving it a beautiful rhythm and energy.
Cloud
Cloud, which was new for 2021 celebrates form, shape, texture and material. The amorphous cloud-shaped top floats within a frame of exquisitely forged legs – each made with traditional blacksmithing techniques.
Balzac Balzac reflects Tom’s interest in geometry and uses the strength of sheet metal to create these origami-like forms.
The flowing, undulating lines of Memphis are perfectly balanced - giving it a beautiful rhythm and energy.
Lily The organic Lily shape is continually evolving. The ottoman is one of the latest manifestations - combining sinuous sheet-metal with soft upholstery.
Papillon Over the years, Tom’s travels have brought much inspiration. In this case it was the lines between the famous boulders of the Joshua Tree National Park in California that gave rise to the shapes of the Papillon collection. The colourful ombré effect finishes are all inspired by British butterflies.
Capricorn Capricorn has become our signature piece, and has been one of our best selling dining tables over the last twenty-five years.
Delivered...
Tom, twenty-five years ago!
Many of our deliveries are made in one of our own vans and installed on site by our friendly and experienced team. We are very proud that our pieces are loved and enjoyed in so many houses, homes, and hotels all over the world.
Capricorn console table
Exe dining table
Finished in ‘Rose Pewter’ with Rosso Luana Marble 170 x50 x H85cm 67” x 19¾” x H33½” Other sizes available
Finished in ‘Bronze’, with a whitened oak top 220 x 100 x H75cm 86½” x 39¼” x H29½” Other sizes available
Edge dining table Tiffany chair Finished in ‘Anthracite’ with c.o.m. velvet
In patinated steel 220 x 100 x H75cm 86½” x 39½” x H29½” Other sizes available
Memphis coffee table Lily cocktail tables With marble, bronze, and steel tops. Various sizes
Finished in ‘Ocean Blue’ D120 x H42cm D47¼” x H16½” Other sizes available
Cloud coffee table Lily cocktail tables With hand-cast Venetian glass tops Various sizes
In patinated steel with Calacatta Oro marble 141 x 97 x H42cm 55½ x 38¼ x H16½” Other sizes available
Ava dining table
Balzac side table
Made in patinated bronze with Noir St Laurent marble D150 x H75cm D59” x H29½” Other sizes available
Finished in ‘Ocean Blue’ with a ‘dull-polished’ bronze top 61 x 31 x H61cm 24” x 12¼ x H24” Other sizes available
Papillon console table Finished in ‘Ulysses Blue’ with dichroic glass 160 x 48x H84cm 63” x 19” x H33” Other sizes available
Lily Ottoman Finished in ‘Florentine Gold’ with c.o.m. velvet D110 x H 39cm D43¼” x H15¼” Other sizes available
Capricorn dining table Finished in ‘Charcoal’ with Arabescato marble D150 x H75cm D59” x H29½” Other sizes available
Everything is made to order, so it can be made to custom sizes. Most pieces can be made in a combination of materials: steel or bronze, with marble, glass or wood. And we have a wide variety of finishes to choose from for the metalwork. This brochure shows just a small part of what we do. To see everything please visit our website.
Brochure design Anigue Malignon Photography Damian Russell, Katrina Lawson-Johnston, Anthony Cowell Styling Suzanne Stankus, Anthony Cowell
London Showroom Chelsea Reach, 79-89 Lots Road, London SW10 0RN +44 (0)20 7351 7272 info@tomfaulkner.co.uk tomfaulkner.co.uk @tomfaulknerfurniture