DESIGNER SPOTLIGHT
Support independent businesses and meet the creatives making waves in the interiors world. This month, we’re talking crafted tableware that’s been handmade with love
After almost two years where meals were the only things we could look forward to in our day, it’s no surprise that tableware has taken up a larger than usual percentage of our bank balance. ‘Tablescaping’, the art of setting out a table in a decorative manner complete with crockery, ornaments and floral flourishes, exploded onto Instagram over lockdown, with the #tablescape hashtag now on more than 1.5 million posts. Setting your table, whether for a lone lunch or family dinner, became one of the biggest events of the day
– so it’s only right that your tableware should live up to expectations. That’s where independent makers like Ellie and Sean come in. As owners of Selwyn House, a handmade wooden tableware company, they’ve been crafting beautiful natural products for lunch, dinner and beyond – and when we came across them, we just had to find out how it all began. Read on to discover the inspiration behind the brand, and check out two more incredible makers whose designs will be on our tables this autumn.
Q
Could you describe your business in a sentence? A
We handmake contemporary wooden tableware in our Derbyshire workshop using British-grown timbers.
Q
How did you get to the point of having your own business? A We met studying fine art in Leeds and have both always been drawn to making things. After leaving university we fell into nine to five jobs, both feeling a little unfulfilled by what we were doing. Then, in 2017, we got the opportunity to move back to Derbyshire (Ellie’s home county) where there was a large workshop and we could really start to live the life we wanted. Sean had already got the woodturning bug so we began making pieces we wanted to use at home. We set out to make functional, warm and honest items that we could use to share great food with family and friends.
Q
What’s your favourite thing about what you do? A
It’s that we really love working together. We couldn’t imagine working any other way now. Or for anyone else for that matter – we love being in charge of our own time, to be able to do the things that bring us joy.
And we have a real passion for the wood we work with; we love being able to show people just how good British timber is.
Q
Do you have a piece – or pieces – that you like best? A Such a hard question! The beauty of British timber is the wealth of character you get – every piece is different and there are always a few special or surprising items we fall in love with on every order. So maybe we’ll pick our mini vases – they’re easily one of our best sellers. Sean turns each one by hand and they showcase not only the beautiful range of timber but the talent of the turner.
Q
What has been your proudest moment – or moments – so far? A
We’re always so proud to send what we make to stockists – and grateful that so many of them love what we do. There’s only the two of us making every piece by hand, so when we’ve sent larger wholesale orders out to well-known brands there’s a huge sense of achievement that we’ve managed it!
Follow @selwyn.house on Instagram. Shop the range and find stockists at selwynhouse.co.uk