In the build up to his series of workshops at Heal's, we caught up with Jay & Co to get the inside story of his fresh approach to furniture restoration.
Breathing new life into vintage furniture, Jay has garnered plenty of praise from the press and design fans alike not only for his quirky style but also the work he does to reach out to disadvantaged and disengaged groups in the community. We're so delighted that he's returning to our stores for a nationwide round of hands-on workshops, we decided to pop by Jay's Wolverhampton studio to have a snoop around.
Tell us a bit about yourself - how did you first become interested in making/repairing furniture?
Well, I’m six foot tall, born and bred in East London and I take a size 11 shoe. But on a more creative note, I first became interested in making/repairing furniture when there was a lack of money in my household. I had to make do with what I could find, and find a way of making stuff out of nothing.
What was the impetus for setting up Jay & Co? Where did the idea to combine furniture and social enterprise stem from?
It really all grew from my work in the charity sector. I wanted to educate young people in something other than sport or music which were basically the only activities on offer. Not everyone has a talent in these areas so for me it seemed easier and more productive to get young people to focus on business. With business you can sell a product and become a product, rather than waiting for your talent to be spotted.
What’s a typical day like at Jay & Co? Do you head to the studio or are you here, there and everywhere?
When I'm not filming, I will drive to the workshop where you can find me listening to classic FM and producing some work… On a day when I’m filming, I’ll be speaking to stylists and homeowners, making sure the finished product suits its environment and the colour scheme is correct.
At the moment my day is a bit of a mixed bag, running around like a headless chicken! However one thing that remains true to both days is that I send a “Thought of the day” out each morning. It reaches around 500 young people on social media which hopefully encourages and inspires them before they start their day.
Up-cycling has become a major trend in interior design, but has that concept of making something from nothing always been intrinsic to the project?
Yes, definitely. For me, upcycling has always been the main focus within the social enterprise, so much so that we didn’t actually call it upcycling to begin with, we called it sustainability.
The aim being to stop furniture from going to a landfill site and to create a future for young people who might not be very successful in formal education. So to me, up cycling in it’s purist form, is about adding more value to a product.
As well as using pre-existing materials your designs always have a playful side. How would you describe your design style and what approach do you take to each piece? My design style is what I call “happy furniture.”
It brings a smile to your face, your living room, kitchen, bathroom or bedroom. To design a really beautiful piece I have to go back into a zone of being a child and tap into my playful side. I do this by playing music loudly and dancing in my workshop.
You’ve got some workshops coming up at Heal’s in the next few weeks that are part of a wider tour around the UK. What’s the reaction from people been like so far?
The reaction has been really positive and very humbling. Many have said they have enjoyed the amount of information and knowledge they have gained through my workshops.
This has given me a great sense of joy because this is what the tour is all about: sharing skills and knowledge with like minded people. The support recieved from the venues (big boys and small included) and their eagerness to give their customers a brilliant experience has been phenomenal.
And finally, although I’m sure it would be hard to choose, what would you say is the best part of your job?
The best part of my job is when a young person's light bulb switches on. When they really understand how easy it is to achieve something and that anything is possible, even if they have been told all their lives that they are unable to achieve anything. Don't miss Jay's exclusive workshops at Heal's stores across the country and make sure to keep track with his nationwide tour by searching for #JaysJourney.
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[ INSPIRATION ]
Behind the design
Having recently launched her new collection of handmade ceramics in-store and online, we caught up with Mia Sarosi at her Oxfordshire studio to discuss the inspiration behind her eclectic collectables.
Mia is no stranger to Heal’s with her Snowy Robin range a feature of the Collectables section of our flagship store for over a year now. We loved her playful, hand painted ceramics so much that for this year’s Heal’s Modern Craft Market we launched a host of new Sarosi ranges alongside live demos from the designer.
Tell us about the first piece you ever designed?
This would probably be the first potters I worked for. After a certain time of developing my painting skills, I was tasked with creating new designs for customer commissions. I had learned and practiced rules of composition on flatware and hollowware and started to apply these to new works.
Where did you study?
I did math and philosophy at Birmingham University, so I never formally studied art. I am largely self-taught or gained my skills through experience and mentoring from local potters.
“I very respectfully acknowledge the kiln gods whenever I fire them!”
What is the inspiration behind your work?
I have many sources of inspiration, the natural world is a huge resource but I also like to create work from philosophical ideas or literature, for example. I also am inspired a lot by the ordinary things in day to day life, and noticing the little things around me.
Do you have a design hero that influences your work?
If I could choose only one reference it would (classical Japanese artist) Katsushika Hokusai because of their beauty, sense of life and skilful brushwork. However, there are many designers and artists I admire for different reasons.
Clarice Cliff inspires me on the business side of things, and how prolific she was as a designer. I also admire Lucie Rie for the beautiful stillness and simplicity in her work.
Tell us about your design process, how do you get started?
It starts with an idea or image that I find interesting and inspiring and that I think would make a good form or design. I then do a lot of sketching and research before I make some samples. From there I develop the design further and test the new piece when I am at a show to get feedback.
And finally, do you have any studio superstitions?
I am most superstitious around the kilns in my workshop and very respectfully acknowledge the kiln “gods” whenever I fire them!
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Artworks in their own right, Katie Charleson’s vibrant prints evoke the wild style of post-modern design.
Having recently launched her exclusive range of hand printed tea towels at Heal’s, we caught up with the designer at her South London studio to discuss her colourful collage aesthetic and see the finishing touches being made to the new collection.
If you'd like to try you hand at Katie's unique collage style of screen printing, pop in store today to print your own tote bag with the designer herself.
Tell us about the first piece you ever designed?
When I was little I used to trace photos of models out of magazines and draw my own fashion designs onto them - a lot of couture gowns! But the first textile piece I made at college was a strange sort of applique representation of a graffiti wall in Edinburgh in mixed media with very muddy colours. Needless to say I have moved on!
Where is your studio based?
I studied Textiles at Glasgow School of Art, specialising in Print, but my studio is now in Elephant & Castle, South London. I share the print space with some fantastic printmakers, artists and designers, so it is a very inspirational place to work.
Do you have any studio superstitions?
I hate waste and keep all scraps of fabric and off-cuts for sampling or future ideas. I even have a box of paper scraps (some of which I know go back to college days) that I use to create new works.
"The most important element is always the colours and how they sit together to create beautiful juxtapositions."
What is the inspiration behind your designs?
Inspiration comes from collecting different lines, brush marks and shapes, then collaging and layering them all together. The most important element is always the colours and how they sit together to create beautiful juxtapositions.
Do you have a design hero that influences your work?
I’m influenced by a wide variety of artists and designers with differing styles, from the graphic prints of Eley Kishimoto to more painterly print designers like Luli Sanchez, or even fantastical artists like Julie Verhoeven.
The fine print: screen-printing involves layering each colour one by one to create the finished design.
Tell us about your design process, how do you get started?
I collect interesting marks, textures and even scraps of colour and paper over time that I usually start by collaging and experimenting with. Sometimes I might combine these with more figurative drawings of plants and flowers, for example.
"Growing up I was told “red and green should never be seen”, which you can see from this collaboration is a statement that I actively reject!"
This limited edition collaboration with Heal’s, however, is completely abstract and was more about finding shapes and colours that combined to create the most sunny energy and vibrancy.
Do you have a preferred material or process?
My first love is screen printing. I really enjoy the process and physical activity of it plus the tactile quality of screen-printed fabrics. Recently I have started painting directly onto fabrics with dyes, which gives a diffused effect when combined with the more graphic lines of screen-printing.
Everyone has a personal reaction to colour, are there any you instinctively avoid?
Growing up I was told “red and green should never be seen”, which you can see from this collaboration is a statement that I actively reject! I love combining colour in unexpected ways, using tone to make potentially jarring colours work together.
How would you describe your new range for Heal’s?
While the prints are obviously functional as Tea Towels, I also see them as fun and vibrant artworks in their own right. The different marks and shapes give the pieces energy and the colours make them fresh and summery. www.kmjcdesigns.com
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On your marks, get set, bodge! The Great Heal's Bodging Race is under way and to finish our series we're talking shop with designer's Carl Clerkin and Sarah Kay.
Carl Clerkin Renowned for his off-the-wall interpretations of everyday objects, Carl Clerkin is a furniture and homewares designer based in London. Honing this craft from his "mess of a shed" studio, he believes his work is "unique in as much as they have their own special mistakes."
What made you want to become a designer and maker? Did you study at university, does craft run in the family etc.
I like problem solving and making prototypes. I studied at Middlesex University and the RCA after that.
Why is it important to maintain the craft of bodging?
The essence of Bodging is being careful and intelligent with local materials to serve community needs. Something we all need to do more of if we're to start looking after the place a bit better.
What role does the craft of a piece play in your design process?
Not much really, I'm interested in the process of making or manufacturing, but not for crafts sake.
What impact do you think the time limitations will have on your design and make?
They'll force you to just get on with it. I like being put in that position.
Do you have any ideas of what you plan to make for the Great Bodging Race?
Not yet, I've just started collecting components. We'll see I guess!
Sarah Kay While Sarah Kay's background is craft-based, she has designer for a range of furniture suppliers, starting as one half of the award-winning design partnership Kay+Stemmer before going solo in 2012. Recent designs include her new Stipo range exclusive to Heal's
What made you want to become a designer and maker?
My grandfather was a carpenter while a great grandfather from the other side of the family was a cabinet maker and clock maker.I grew up in the country and we had animals, so I was always helping to mend things and make things out of whatever was to hand from chicken coops to fences.
I had an epiphany when I was 30 and had the opportunity to go back to college, I suddenly knew what I wanted to do. That’s when I decided to study fine craftsmanship and furniture design at Parnham College, in Dorset.
Why is it important to maintain the craft of bodging?
The beauty of bodging is its foundation in logic and the understanding of wood. It is a way of constructing a chair that is unlikely to be lost.
What role does the craft of a piece play in your design process?
As a maker I can change my mind from what’s on the piece of paper at any stage. Tweaking is essential to me, probably because I’m not so good at drawing.
What impact do you think the time limitations will have on your design and make?
This is about prototyping really and the luxury of a few days to explore some ideas and see what comes out of a pile of off-cuts.
Do you have any ideas of what you plan to make for the Great Heal’s Bodging Race?
I’m interested in using the opportunity to incorporate some woven material and learn something from Rachael South and Annemarie O’Sullivan who will be joining us.
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With the Great Heal's Bodging Race about to kick off, we caught up with competitors Gitta Gschwendtner and William Warren to talk us through how they got involved with the project.
Gitta Gschwendtner Taking a "tailor made" approach to design, each of Gitta's pieces is carefully researched with every solution an individual response to a projects particular needs. A newcomer to the Great Heal's Bodging Race, her designs have narrative at their heart with style derived primarily through functionality.
What made you want to become a designer and maker?
My mother trained as a fashion designer and my father initially wanted to study art, but then decided on medicine. When I grew up I always new that I would either want to work in the arts or become a doctor. After an art foundation course in London I happily turned down my place to study medicine in Hamburg and never returned. I then went on to study design at Kingston University and the Royal College of Art.
Why is it important to maintain the craft of bodging?
In a world where we understand less and less how things work and are being made, it’s nice to maintain some very basic making traditions.
What role does the craft of a piece play in your design process?
I am not usually a maker, so craft is not normally an element in my work.
How do you think your designs differ to those of the other bodger’s?
My original bodge bench is quite square for something that has been whittled from green timber. We jokingly used to call it the Travis Perkins bench since I spent all that time turning the natural material into something that looks like standard components from a building supplier.
What impact do you think the time limitations will have on your design and make?
It is sometimes nice to have to think on the spot and just go on and do it. My work often involves a lot of planning and revisions so I will enjoy the spontaneity of the bodge job.
Do you have any ideas of what you plan to make for the Great Heal's Bodging Race?
No idea! William Warren A self-described 'Jack of all trades master of none', William Warren is no stranger to the Great Heal's Bodging Race have competed at last year's event. Born into a 'craft family' he began his career as a silversmith before moving on to design furniture and now holds a post as Senior lecturer at London Metropolitan University.
What made you want to become a designer and maker?
Yes, I've got a very craft family. My dad's a potter, my mum studied textiles and does a lot of illustration and all my brothers studied making courses at university. I did a variety of different disciplines at college and the broad range of materials covered has been really useful over the years.
Why is it important to maintain the craft of bodging?
This definition of bodging that we're using is about experimental making and using prototyping to develop ideas and designs for bigger production pieces. I think it's really important to do this and to understand its value.
There's far too much designing happening on screen these days and this only gives us cosmetically fashionable pieces. Virtual designs have no weight, smell, sound or comfort. They cannot express any quality of craftsmanship. If we're not careful, new objects will all be judged on their appearance and not on any of the qualities we love and need.
How do you think your designs differ to those of the other bodger’s?
I think each of the bodgers working in the window at Heal's have a different mix of the same skills and influences. I'll be trying to make functional, attractive, production appropriate pieces that have a blend of craft and charm. I'm sure the others will be working with similar drivers but maybe slightly different priorities.
What impact do you think the time limitations will have on your design and make?
It's not easy making sensible considered decisions when you're on display and working to a tight schedule. It plays havoc with making quality and it limits some possibilities but also means you've got to solve problems with what's available and that can produce some surprising and fresh results.
Do you have any ideas of what you plan to make for the Great Heal's Bodging Race?
I'm really excited about working with the bodger’s friends, particularly Anne Marie the weaver. It's a process that suggests curvaceous and beautiful natural forms. I'm happy to let the processes and materials available lead the designs.
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As our Design Ireland exhibition draws to a close, we catch up with Scott Benefield of BTU Studio to discuss his modern take on traditional Murano glassware.
Artist, educator and writer, Scott Benefield's work descends from the Venetian traditions of glassblowing, which utilise the materials most essential aspects of transparency, saturated colours and fluidity.
Working from his studio in Randalstown, Co. Antrim, each piece is made using the ancient process of caneworking to add intricate patterns and stripes to blown glass.
Tell us about the first piece you ever made?
The first successful piece of production ware that I designed and made was for a company called Studio Inferno, which was based in New Orleans, Louisiana. I was one year out of school and it was a very simple vase that became the mainstay of that production line for the next eight years.
Where did you study or learn your craft?
I received an MA from Ohio State University in glass, but most of the real technical study came from working with masters from Murano in various workshop settings: in Venice, but also at summer programs in the States specializing in glassblowing (Pilchuck Glass School, Haystack Mt. School of Crafts, Penland School of Crafts).
Tell us about your design process, how do you get started?
Designs tend to evolve from previous successful designs—a line of pouring bowls descended from the success of a line of small jugs, for instance. There’s always a good percentage of new designs in each year’s line, so that’s a constant process.
What is the inspiration behind your work?
I look for inspiration at tableware in other media, historical work, studio glass from around the world, etc.
Do you have a design hero that influences your work?
Archimede Seguso, who was my teacher’s maestro on Murano back in the 1950s. He was very skilled, very inventive, very successful and he worked in his studio into his nineties.
Do you have a preferred material or process?
I use traditional Venetian cane techniques that were first developed in the early 16th century on Murano.
What will you be doing as part of Design Ireland at Heal’s?
Since demonstrating glass blowing at Heal’s isn't practically possible, I have to limit myself to supplying them with a range of work from my current line.
Why do you think events such as this are important in promoting Irish design?
I think it keeps the best work in the field in front of the public and helps displace the cliched images of Irish design as claddagh rings and tweed caps. There’s a misconception that, in general, visual arts don’t flourish here; but I've been consistently impressed with the quality of contemporary craft and design in particular.
If you'd like to take home one of Scott's stunning pieces of modern glassware, visit the Design Ireland exhibition at our Tottenham Court Road store.
To keep up to date with our busy calendar of demos, workshops and talks make sure to check our events page by clicking the button below.
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HEAL'S DISCOVERS
Ed Heritage
As part of this season’s Heal’s Discovers initiative, we’re delighted to introduce Ed Heritage, an award-winning UK-based designer whose signature style of clean geometry and playful details is reflected in the beautiful lamp he created.
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