Simple pieces of furniture, lovingly handmade in a workshop on the banks of the Thames. That's the ethos of London-based duo Biggs and Quail, craftsmen who are winning admiration and plaudits for their back-to-basics approach.
Will Biggs and Sean Quail have known each other since they were at school, and set up their company two years ago because they were disillusioned with both the design and the quality of modern, mass-produced furniture.
"There's a real focus on simplicity and on attention to detail," says Will Biggs of their work, adding, "I guess it's a balance between being functional and being beautiful", consciously or unconsciously echoing William Morris's famous dictum that we have nothing in our houses that we do not know to be useful or believe to be beautiful.
Biggs & Quail have a small range of pieces that arguably do both. A mid-century modern desk has simple looped metal legs, and a choice of solid iroko, walnut or ash for the desktop. A deceptively plain table and stool has a circular iroko surface, and a pyramidal metal base.
"We want something to last a lifetime when we make it," says Sean Quail, "so there's a lot of attention to detail in the joinery and the design and functionality of everything we do."
Biggs & Quail also craft bespoke pieces, working with clients and producing everything from mood boards to a variety of proposed designs. From what we've seen, they're a superb choice.
