Liam Treanor Furniture

It's Our First Birthday!

2012-01-03T18:45:00.001Z

The turn of the year marked the end of our first year of business, our 1st birthday if you like...

...And what a year it has been!

The first couple of months of 2010 were spent building prototypes for products such as the Bow floor lamp and the Shell chair, which have since been joined by 7 new fully developed products. Which include a chair, coffee table, bench, dining table, table lamp, tall stool, and magazine rack; plus the Homemaker bookcase which was designed whilst at university. You can view and purchase all of our products through this link.

Following my appearance at New Designers in 2010 I was chosen to exhibit at New Designers 2011 - One Year On, a panel selected group of the finest graduates one year on into their business career.

Other 2011 exhibitions included Modern Shows at Dulwich College in March and a successful second showing at Tent London in September.

2012 is set to be a very exciting year, with orders destined for Hong Kong and China; products to be featured in promotional press for a new fabric and wallcoverings brand, which will be shown in leading interiors and lifestyle magazines; and an 'Antiques of the Future' feature article in an upcoming issue of BBC Homes & Antiques magazine.

Let's hope 2012 will be another positive year for Liam Treanor Furniture!

Lifestyle Etc. Interview

2011-12-15T09:44:00.000Z

Prior to Tent London in September Sebastian Cox and I had an interview with Living Etc magazine's blog Lifestyle Etc; titled 'The world according to We Have Furniture'.

The world according to We Have Furniture

Sebastian Cox (right) and Liam Treanor are We Have Furniture, and they do, look! And, it is beautiful furniture, which is good for us types who love that sort of thing. Their work is quite different (Liam’s is the top two images, Sebastian’s afterwards), but they share a passion for wood, design, craftsmanship and pastry (that’s just Liam, actually). Our kind of guys. They’re showing at this year’s Tent London, but until then, let’s meet them…

When did you know that you wanted to design? (SC) I suppose before I knew what design was. I wanted to be an inventor from a very young age, and made things from anything I could find. (LT) At cabinet making college I studied the great Marcel Breuer. His work made me realise there is so much more to a successful product than pretty joints and extravagant decoration.

What are you most proud of in your work? (SC) I’m most proud of my ethos of design through making. When I develop a new product I rarely sit at a computer designing on CAD. I do use CAD for working our scale and proportions, but most of the details and working elements I develop in the workshop through trial and error. I believe that having this engagement with making produces stronger pieces. (LT) Embodying everything I have found influential in design; but in a unique and fresh style.
What kind of material do you think has great possibilities? (SC) I think that coppiced hazel has so much potential. I’ve been working with it for a couple of years and I’d love to see it used more widely. (LT) I’m going to go for wood as a whole; I don’t really like moving away from it. It’s the texture it holds and patina it gains, other materials just can’t compare.
Which product would you redesign if you could? (SC) I’d probably re-design the M25. It’s one of the UK’s biggest headaches. (LT) I would like to design a 21st century Cona coffee maker, I wonder if I could redesign it with similar success to what Abram Games achieved when it was his job to do so.

Which designer has inspired your work? (SC) William Morris and the other Arts and Crafts designers and makers. I’m hugely inspired by their ideologies, and the way they looked back to a previous era for their principles was really radical, something I consider in my work. (LT) Alvar Aalto mostly; his use of laminated wood to produce curved components; use of pale timbers; his admiration for nature and natural forms; his recognition of wood as one of the few human friendly materials.

What designers you know should we watch out for? (SC) Liam Treanor, he’s doing some nice stuff at the moment. I’ve been really impressed by a guy called Neil Conley who we exhibited at One Year On with. He has a subtle and intelligent approach to sustainable design. (LT) I’ve recently been liking the work of Simen Aarseth, Steuert Padwick and Sean Dare of Dare Studio.

What are you looking forward to about being at Tent? (SC) The Friday night party was ace last year, the atmosphere of the whole exhibition is just brilliant. Obviously I’m also looking forward to taking lots of orders and meeting new journalists. (LT) Being surrounded by talented designers in a friendly family-like environment and sharing my latest products with the public, press and industry specialists.

What’s your next grand plan? We’re both planning a big move to London. It is a very grand plan!

What do you get up when not being a brilliant, cutting-edge designer? Describe your perfect day off… (SC) On Saturdays I play hockey, which is a great release from a stressful week, but my perfect day off would probably be a day visiting a city I’ve never been to before. (LT) Experiencing new cultures and places, especially if evocative of design eras or styles that interest me.

Tell us a secret… (SC) I can’t swim. (LT) I’m probably a little bit addicted to pastry.

Link - The world according to We Have Furniture

Interview

2011-06-06T22:42:00.000+01:00

Recently I had an interview with Ben Williams from Double O' Nothing. He wanted to know about my influences, inspirations and ambitions, so this is a good opportunity to learn more about what I do and why I do it. You can click the link below to view the interview:

www.doubleonothing.wordpress.com/liam-treanor

My floor lamp and chair featured in Crafts Magazine - May/June issue.

2011-06-02T18:30:00.001+01:00

This Crafts Magazine article features a selection of works to be shown at forthcoming exhibition New Designers - One Year On. I will be showing a few of my products during Part 2 of the show which is held at the Business Design Centre, Islington from 6th - 9th July. Come visit and say hello!

http://www.newdesigners.com/

Commissioned Corner Cabinet

2011-05-31T11:28:00.000+01:00

This lovely corner cabinet commission is made from English oak. A corner cabinet is not the easiest piece to allow me to improvise and embody my style in. However, my style identity is visible through varius components such as: the door frames with their rounded inner edges; the tapered feet; and my personal favourite the door 'handles' which are angled finger pulls - great functionality and they don't disrupt the minimal aesthetic of the piece.

If you would like to learn about commissioning a unique piece of design-led furniture to meet your specifications - please email me on info@liamtreanor.co.uk

Batch of Floor Lamps

2011-04-21T20:53:00.000+01:00

Recently I've been working on producing a batch of Bow floor lamps ready for sale. As these are my first batch I thought I would use the opportunity to take a few photographs of some of the finished items.

Josie Portillo print in a frame made by myself.

2011-04-20T21:44:00.001+01:00

Recently I purchased a wonderful print by Los Angeles based illustrator Josie Portillo. I didn't want to frame the print in something which won't do it justice. So hopefully this one I made will.

To view Josie's work visit www.portilloillustration.com or alternatively to purchase one of her prints visit www.etsy.com/josieportillo

Commissioned Floor Lamp

2011-04-07T21:56:00.000+01:00

Once again my clients for this project allowed me free reign over the aesthetic of their product. The specification dictated most of the form as it stated it must be suitable to stand in the corner of a room behind a rocking chair, whilst providing sufficient light for reading during darkness. The bracket which joins the lamp arm and upright enables the arm to be rotated, and to slide horizontally; as can be seen in the images below. Similar to my Bow Floor Lamp the flex (cable) is contained within the lamp arm and upright; its exposure in places is key to the form. The timber used in the product is walnut.

Commissioned Kitchen Table

2011-03-30T21:30:00.009+01:00

Well this commissioned kichen table was a project I thoroughly enjoyed. My kind clients allowed me freedom to design their table in my preffered style, this may explain why it works with my Wood Shell Chair (hence the joint photographs). It is a small table to seat two, measuring 1200mm x 600mm, made from beech.

Appologies for the standard of photography (it can only get better)

Midcentury Modern Exhibition

2011-03-26T16:59:00.001Z

Last Sunday (20th March) I exhibited at Midcentury Modern at Dulwich College in London. It was a great exhibition which showcased new designers with an appreciation of mid 20th century design alongside Britain’s top mid-century dealers in Scandinavian, European and American mid-century furniture and decorative arts.

My stand featuring new products as the show was opening.

One of the halls full with mid century classics

For more information on the show: www.modernshows.com

Auctioned Walnut Plant Table

2011-03-06T21:36:00.004Z

During my university education I received some financial support from The Samuel Lee charity based in my home village of Geddington, Northamptonshire to help cover the costs of materials used.

Their help really did make a difference. As a note of my appreciation I recently donated an item of furniture for them to auction at their annual charity lunch, so that other people can benefit from the charity's great work, just as I did.

The plant/side table I provided is to be found in my current collection. However this table was unique in that it was made of walnut, a timber I rarely use, and sourced from my village timber yard and grown in the Duke of Buccleuch's estate, Boughton House.

Tyler Hays - Independent designer and founder of the American furniture design brand BDDW

2011-02-14T21:50:00.002Z

I had never heard of this designer or brand before today, though I now have much respect for Tyler and his designer furniture label BDDW. It seems like he has had a complicated and at times distressing business life but has pulled through as a distinguished high-end furniture designer maker/manufacturer. Tyler owns an enviable company with a large manufacturing premesis and a chic city showroom. Most interestingly for me he has done so whilst keeping all of his manufacturing in America, rather then outsourcing to cheaper countries such as China; this is uncommon and certainly something to admire, I also aim to do the same.

Below is a link to a Tyler Hays interview, if you have some spare time I encourage you to have a read.

How Tyler Hays created an indie furniture empire.

New Products!

2011-02-01T00:13:00.002Z

Finally I have completed some new products. After months of saying 'don't judge me on my University work' here are a couple of products which fulfill the needs of what I think is important in good furniture design.

I find that many young furniture designers seem to settle into the idea that being innovative and elaborate are the key ingredients which will make a product 'good'; this is exactly where I was a number of months ago. There are many downfalls to this idea, i.e. a compromise in functionality, increased costs and a reduced client base. I want to design and manufacture products which are functional, durable, well considered, beautiful and at a more affordable cost then the majority of designer furniture.

My new products will be elegant yet modest, designed in a style which will fit into a broader range of modern interiors. I am a firm believer that 'good design' should be owned by all, hence making all attempts to reduce costs through a refined and well thought through manufacturing process.

Here are my first two pieces:


Floor Standing Lamp

Shelving Unit (two metres tall), available with colour lacquered shelves

I am always working on new products, so within the following few weeks expect to see a number of new posts.

Dovetailed jewellery box with parquetry commission

2011-01-08T00:01:00.002Z

This is a reproduction of a jewellery box which I made whilst in my first year of university. The box is made from cherry with parquetry (marquetry using only geometric shapes) patterns on the top and inners. The parquetry making process is fairly lengthy; I've tried to narrate the progress through still images placed into a slideshow which you can view below.

An inner shelf compartment with a transparent base is now being made to complete the commission.

Sir Terence Conran

2010-11-22T23:05:00.002Z

I am a big fan of Sir Terence Conran, partially for his designs, but more so for his general outlook on design and entrepreneurial skills. I admire what he has achieved and the route in which he has done so. A lot of my ideas and ideals are similar to his own; I think this will become more evident in my upcoming furniture and my aproach to the market.

This is a great interview with Sir Terence highlighting his views on the importance of design as a trade in Britain and where he thinks future design is heading.

I like this extract:

I hope that people will do what I did when I left college. I found that making my designs was the way to pay the bills. I learnt to weld and started woodworking and built a furniture business that way. It's not an easy route but it's a solid one nevertheless and beneﬁcial for the economy of the country. We desperately need young entrepreneurs.

I have also been reading 'Terence Conran: Design and the Quality of Life' by Elizabeth Wilhide. I find that It's ideal when feeling the strains of establishing a business or doing continuous design work and in need of a dose of optimism.

Grand Designs: Lizard Peninsula

2010-11-01T21:57:00.006Z

I know that not many people seem to be viewing the current series of Grand Designs due to Sir Alan Sugar's search for his 6th 'Apprentice' but if you watch any episode, be sure to make it this one.

Series 7 - Episode 29 features a Scandinavian influenced build in Cornwall by interior designer Kathryn Tyler.

It is nice to see that Kathryn refreshingly has kept away from the ever more common International Style modern aesthetic in this build. To me this is why the house is such an outstanding sucess, alongside the beautiful furnishings of course. Here are some points which made this Grand Design something special: Kathryn has snubbed the standard modern smooth white concrete walls by using painted white bricks instead which add physical and aesthetical texture, and the contrast with the cedar wood cladding is beautiful. The interior doesn't have the impeccable, uh oh there's a spoon out of place, minimalist feel you would expect to find in a modern build; instead she has utilised open storage to make the house feel more like a home for living than an exhibition space (phew). Her use of wood in the interior and exterior of the build creates a cosy warm human friendly environment in comparision to the industrial feel of metal etc. Kathryn's approach to the build is excellent, she knows what she wants and what works well and her knowledge of good design, most notably of the Mid-Century and Scandinavian style, is very admirable.

Ernest Race's Antelope chair confirmed her great taste (my favourite chair)

Beautiful vintage Scandinavian furniture

I've had ideas for designing a house of my own for many years but to be truthful I wouldn't change a great deal of what Kathryn has created. The only down side to the episode is the dissapointment of knowing my house probably won't feature in a future Grand Designs; It would be too similar. But I can live with that.

The images alone do not do the house any where near enough justice, you can view the episode on 4oD by following this link.

2010-10-19T20:42:00.001+01:00

My Homemaker bookcase is featured in the www.furnish.co.uk online magazine.

Here's what they say...

Keep your books in check with this simple yet oh-so-stylish Homemaker bookcase from Liam Treanor. £350

Sometimes I go to people's houses and I am shocked to not see any books on display. Do they not read? I think to myself. Where is their collection?

It's probably because I am fiercely proud of my (ok and the boy's) collection. It fills every imaginable space in our dining room.

Having said that, we're fast running out of space and seeing though I've never been one who can bear to throw away books (for me this is total sacrilege) I have been on the look out for a freestanding bookcase to take some of the pressure off the bulging shelves.

Thankfully, I think I have found just the thing.

The Homemaker bookcase by Liam Treanor may seem simple to some but I love the elegant shape and no-fuss style of this design.

It reminds me of school libraries which is where I assume my love affair with seeing books neatly in a row began.

Plus, this brilliant lime green is guaranteed to add a pop of colour to any room and if green aint your thing, then I am reliably informed by Liam himself that the bookcase is available in lots of of colours.

See this product at Liam Treanor...

(We don't list this product yet but sign up to our newsletter and we'll let you know if/when we do)

follow this link to view the article

New office space / bedroom desk

2010-10-06T15:42:00.000+01:00

I have recently moved into a new room in a shared house, with the previous owner having a lack in style I've changed a few things to make it more spacious, functional, and homely. The most recent alteration is the addition of a lovely new desk (well..). The desk was most likely made in the 70's; and features a painted tubular steel frame with tapered legs, nice! To give it a new lease of life I removed its original plywood tabletop and replaced it with my favorite material, birch plywood. The tabletop is slightly deeper than the original’s for increased working space and has a slot at the rear to tidy up and remove cables.

Bedroom work space with refurbished 70's school desk

Close up of plywood table top and original tubular steel frame.

Grand Designs Magazine

2010-09-21T08:41:00.002+01:00

My Homemaker bookcase is featured in the October issues of Grand Designs magazine, It reads:

Hot new design duo We Have Furniture's Homemaker bookcase is inspired by functional post-war modernism, but keeps things contemporary with its lucious lime green palette. A sure fire future classic, we think.

Homemaker bookcase and description

Philippe Starck's Magic Hole armchair for Kartell (7)

Tent London exhibition

2010-09-20T08:46:00.002+01:00

Visit myself and Sebastian Cox of the We Have Furniture brand at Tent London from the 23rd-26th September. We will be exhibiting at stand C07, in the entrance hall.

www.tentlondon.co.uk

New Product: Wall Mounted Magazine Rack

2010-09-01T22:05:00.002+01:00

My latest product looks at the ways design can manipulate social exchange and encourage interaction.

The product is a wall mounted magazine rack, with an upper shelf allowing a book to be left open on a double page spread with the content either facing upwards or down.

The piece is suited to environments where people may be united, such as a hallway, sitting room, waiting room or a play room.

Leaving a magazine open on the upper shelf can prompt questions as to why the people who last viewed the magazine had an interest in the topic; as a result promoting social exchange. Reading on from where the magazine was left open can provide opportunity to read something which you may not have otherwise, maybe a subject which you previously had no interest in.

The form is refined with no decoration, as the decoration is the role of the graphic designer responsible for the appearance of the magazine, or the subject matter featured.

New Designs

2010-08-24T23:00:00.000+01:00

I have come up with two new designs which I aim to exhibit at Tent London. They are both storage related but I won't let you in on too much information just yet. I will be embarking on a four hour drive up to Newcastle tomorrow to use my uncle's workshop. These new pieces are both relatively different to my previous products, yet they offer an insight into a more innovative side of my design. I hope you're as excited as I am!

Images to follow

2010-08-07T16:26:00.000+01:00

The details are details. They make the product. The connections, the connections, the connections. It will in the end be these details that give the product its life.

- Charles Eames

Currently

2010-07-20T21:11:00.000+01:00

I am planning to design and make an additional piece of furniture to add to my collection for Tent London exhibition during London Design Week (23-26 September). However at the moment I do not have access to a workshop but this is in the process of being sorted, thus I shall look into using a relative's machinery to complete this piece.

New Designers was good fun and a great opportunity to show my work to a wider audience. I picked up on several things which I shall change for my next exhibition regarding the likes of decoration and interaction of an exhibition space and also my furniture itself. Let's just say that more timber may be visible in my next set of pieces; before eventually picking up where I have left sprayed colour lacquer components and my love of the machine aesthetic.

A very sad time for me indeed.

Liam

A 50 year old capital city?

2010-07-01T10:16:00.000+01:00

Forget Canberra, Brasilia the capital of Brazil is not much more than twice my age. The 50th aniversary of the switch from Rio De Janerio to Brasilia as the capital of Brazil has just recently occurred. But this is not my main reason of interest in this subject; it's the architecture and planning which is used in the metropolis. Architect Oscar Niemeyer was responsible for the design of numerous buildings including the National Congress and the National Museum, both bordering on sci-fi in a period of the space age dream.

Below is a link to a series of images showing the building of Brasilia by the BBC.

Brasilia celebrates 50 years - in pictures

The National Congress

The National Museum

I like to think the image above shows how Modernism should be appreciated. It is sophsticated design, the simple linear forms are beautiful not only in an aesthetical sense but also through practicality. In the background is the National Congress.

BBC - Brasilia article

Also featured in issue 081 of Icon magazine

Mid-Century Modernist blog

2010-06-20T12:20:00.000+01:00

Take a look at this online gallery, blog and auction site. I find each piece extremely attractive; the sort of design I aim to bring into the 21st century. I like how alot of the items are of Scandinavian influence, stating just how important they were to the movement.

Adrian Pearsall Lounge Chair and Ottoman

www.midcenturymodernist.com

New Designers

2010-05-31T21:55:00.002+01:00

You may or may not already know, but the University of Lincoln Furniture course will be exhibiting at the New Designers show in London this July. New Designers showcases the very best in UK graduate design where near 3500 graduates show their work to industry employers, the media, trend predictors and the public. Three members of our course have been selected to have images of our work promoted to the press through the New Designers website. Two of which are Sebastian Cox and Myself, who combined make up We Have Furniture; a collaboration of two sole traders who not only operate in the same studio but share many ideologies and principles, despite our rather opposing styles. Let's hope this draws attention to our work and is beneficial to our properous (fingers crossed) future careers.

http://www.newdesigners.com/ - under 'Furniture Design'

http://wehavefurniture.blogspot.com/

http://sebcoxfurniture.blogspot.com/

Carabao Chair

2010-05-31T15:59:00.003+01:00

I designed this lounge chair as my main final year piece.

Carabao Chair sitting in front of Lincoln Cathedral. Showing a clash of Gothic and Modernist styles.

Brief description: The Carabao chair is influenced by the furniture of pioneer Modern’s such as Alvar Aalto and Marcel Breuer. Function and innovation are key to the design; whilst still aiming to formulate a distinctive and iconic item of furniture. The lacquered seat panel and back rest are constructed of layers of laminated ply, shaped over a former in a bag press. The spiraling back rest allows spring for comfort and eases the user into a comfortable resting position. The contrasting frame is made from sustainably sourced English sycamore. Colour is used to form an impression of playfulness; and in the context of post war design, a sense of optimism and prosperity.

More pictures to follow.

I'm back!

2010-05-31T15:18:00.001+01:00

It's been almost 2 months since my last post due to finishing my degree; plus various things such as preperation for my future as a furniture designer/maker. BUT now I'm going to get back on track with this blogging business. Watch this space...

78 Derngate - The Charles Rennie Mackintosh House

2010-04-09T21:33:00.000+01:00

Northampton is home to Charles Rennie Mackintosh's last ever commission and one of the most important interiors of the twentieth century. In 1916 entrepreneur W.J. Bassett-Lowke bought a small terraced house for £250; 78 Derngate Street, Northampton. Bassett-Lowke looked to achieve a modern interior and enlisted Mackintosh, who despite never carrying out work outside his homeland of Scotland, eventually agreed. Mackintosh was an influential designer throughout our continent, an important limb of the Art Nouveau movement. The movement’s style is characterized by the use of floral and curvilinear shapes…

Here are some images of the interior

Lounge/hall - geometric stair screen, with decorative glass panels

Guest bedroom - black and white wall/ceiling stencil stripes. Geometric furniture, including signiture ladderback chairs

Rear of 78 Derngate - Black and white emphasizing linear forms, shows the width of the property

What can be noticed from the interior design is the use of geometric shapes and linear forms; and the use of black and white plus only a few other colours, all similar to the Neo-plasticism principles of the De Stijl movement based in the Netherlands. Bassett-Lowke encouraged Mackintosh to remove the floral and curvilinear shapes evident of the Art Nouveau movement, instead asking for a minimal approach. The importance of this event is almost monumental. These were the initial signs of modernism; almost 10 years prior to its eventual arrival.

78 Derngate is open to the public, and I hugely recommend it.

‘One of the most important domestic interiors of the 20th century’

– The Times

www.78derngate.org.uk

UK Pavilion at Shanghai Expo or Anish Kapoor's Olympic sculpture?

2010-04-07T15:27:00.002+01:00

What gives a better representation of British design? With a lot of debate on the matter of Anish Kapoor's 'The ArcelorMittal Orbit' structure taking its place in the London Olympic Park; would Thomas Heatherwick's UK Pavillion which will be released at the Shanghai Expo in a month's time be a better option? The Shanghai Expo is to be the largest Expo ever to be held.

“The UK Pavilion is already one of Expo’s star attractions. It has not only generated huge interest in China – and a nickname, the ‘Dandelion’, a Chinese good luck symbol – but photos of this extraordinary building have been used from LA to Lisbon and from Caracus to Calcutta as the defining image of Shanghai Expo"

"The ground-breaking design of the UK Pavilion is helping to overcome images of the UK as a land of swirling fog and cobblestones. Amidst over 230 pavilions jostling for attention, the UK Pavilion stands out.”

Thomas Heatherwick's UK Pavillion at Shanghai Expo

UK Pavilion at Shanghai Expo - youtube

Anish Kapoor's 'The ArcelorMittal Orbit'

For more information on Anish Kapoor's structure visit

http://sebcoxfurniture.blogspot.com/

And if you are interested there is even a facebook petition page.

Manifesto

2010-04-06T12:33:00.002+01:00

As my website is still currently being constructed, here is my design manifesto which shall eventually be included on my site. This is to give an indication of what I am about...

I am a furniture designer/maker, inspired by the aesthetics of Modernism to create exciting and inovative laminated, curved structures.

The importance of function, simplicity of form and honesty of materials is clearly stated in my work.

Clean lines and proportions, carefully executed , are essential to the aesthetic without compromising functionality.

Colour is a fundamental component of my design, collaborating with the client to create or change a mood of emotion within and around a piece providing a sense of ownership in its creation beyond that of mere client.

The furniture we own says much about us as individuals. I intend to create work that will be owned with pride and respected by this generation and beyond.