There’s a bike in the exhibition. Tell us about that. There’s a British bicycle company called Charge Bikes, who pushed the idea of the single speed bike, and they’re based in Somerset near where we have a house. We covered one of their saddles in leather with Golborne Road’s Halfpipe and sent it down to them, and they commissioned one. Then we took one of their Juicer bikes and tarted it up, with a leather seat, leather handlebars and leather mudflaps. That’s in the exhibition.
CLOCKWISE FROM TOP LEFT: THE RECEPTION AREA AT THE SHARD; LEATHER HANDRAILS; LEATHER CAR INTERIOR, ALL BY BILL AMBERG STUDIO
What do you like about leather interiors? They’re warm – they have natural thermal properties, with great acoustics. We have just done a cinema in Eaton Square and it’s such a warm soft sound. The smell is good, and the touch is amazing. And leather lasts forever. In fact we have recently made minor repairs to a floor that dates back to 1954.
Can you discuss the relationship between traditional skills and design? Craft is the route of making and humans make things well. In our studio in Queens Park we’ve got designers and craftspeople working together all day every day, and that’s the best way of making something – design and craft together is missing from lots of things, some products may be cleverly designed but the process of evolution that comes with the craft might be missing. Development must be part of the making. I am a designer and I started as a craftsman – to me, design and craft are totally wrapped up together. What’s the most unusual thing you’ve ever done with leather? We once covered someone’s loo seat in pearlised white leather. Nothing
surprises me like that any more, I was rather pleased. Last year we did an entire gym, which a client found ugly before we dismantled it all and covered it in leather. What is made of leather in your own house? My stereo unit, the cabinet for my vinyl is covered in leather and my TV room has a leather floor. Inside Design with Bill Amberg runs from 21 February to 6 March at Great Western Studios, 65 Alfred Road W2. Bill Amberg will be in conversation with Libby Sellers on 28 February, 7-9pm; greatwesternstudios.com billambergstudio.com 47
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