Double acts
These creative couples prove that, when it comes to bright ideas, there’s strength in numbers. Meet the design duos behind two of the hottest brands of the moment
Villa Bologna Pottery
Founded in 1924 by the influential Strickland family, Villa Bologna Pottery is already a household name in Malta, thanks to its handmade tableware and whimsical ceramics. Since new owners Sophie and Rowley Edwards took over the business, its appeal is set to go global.
‘As a child, every house I visited had a piece of Villa Bologna Pottery. It’s always been a part of my life,’ says Sophie, who grew up in Malta. She met Rowley in London, but has now moved back to the island with him and their young family. They’ve ensured Villa Bologna Pottery stays true to its roots – both as a family business (their children, Rocco and Zadie, are regularly spotted playing with fistfuls of clay) and a champion of Maltese motifs.
‘Grapes and artichokes inspired by the villa’s gardens sit happily alongside new designs, like the palm tree, and simpler stripes,’ Sophie says. A dedication to traditional craftsmanship is also part of the brand’s DNA, explains Rowley. ‘No shortcuts are taken when making our ceramics. Each piece passes through several pairs of hands and takes weeks to make. The pieces are timeless and last a lifetime.’ You can be sure you’re picking up an enduring classic – after all, it’s a formula that’s proved successful for nearly a century and counting (villabolognapottery.com).
Mythology
A furniture, design and craft studio based in east London, Mythology is the brainchild of Sam Pearson and Anna Kidel, who launched the brand in 2019 with the aim of bringing together their shared artistry and obsession with finding the perfect balance between form and function.
‘Our adventure began when we started making some furniture for our house, in a makeshift workshop in our back garden,’ says Kidel. ‘Little did we know that it would be the spark that set us off on a journey to become professional designers and furniture-makers, and establish Mythology a few years later.’ The brand specialises in heirloom pieces, from chunky, hand-carved benches to architectural side tables and grooved lamps. Pearson, who trained himself in furniture-making in a shared workshop, works with hand tools as much as possible – an honest, considered process that’s reflected in the one-of-a-kind creations.
‘We strive to come up with designs which make a statement, while honouring the beauty of simplicity and celebrating natural materials,’ he says. ‘We select our wood by hand, sourcing it locally whenever possible, often from trees grown in London that have been felled due to urban development. We love how you can see traces of the life of a tree in every piece of timber we work with.’
The couple are working on a limited-edition collaboration with Mexican textiles studio Rrres, and are in the midst of planning an exhibition for London Craft Week. Watch this space… (mythologyfurniture.com).