In Partnership: Bertioli X Lorfords Contemporary

About:

Many local readers will have heard of Lorfords Antiques, founded by Toby Lorford in 2003 in Tetbury, it and has been supplying Thyme with antique furnishings for many years. While selling antiques, Toby was approached by a number of customers asking whether he could create replications of antique furniture designs using materials that would withstand modern life.

In 2015, he was approached by chef Marco Pierre White to help furnish one of his hotel projects - The English House in Singapore - with furniture inspired by Howard & Sons originals. This was when the Lorfords Contemporary workshop was born, specialising in bespoke handcrafted upholstery and furnishings made using traditional methods and with responsible materials.

With their own dedicated workshop in the town of Stroud (just down the road from Thyme) they have a small team of 10 expert upholsters and makers. In 2020, Caryn was looking to refresh some of the upholstered furniture in a number of the rooms at Thyme and approached Lorfords.

Alongside Caryn and Milly, Lorfords have spent many hours analysing the spaces and needs of each room, looking at where to draw inspiration from and designs shapes to promote flexibility and longevity and complement the unique hand drawn fabric designs. 

Lorfords traditional Elmstead sofa takes pride of place in The Tithe Barn with Caryn’s Oak leaf print and further Lorfords Contemporary designs in bedrooms ‘Radish’ and ‘Carrot’. Over the coming seasons, as further Bertioli fabrics are revealed, Lorfords and Bertioli are planning many more collaborations.

“Our Stroud based workshop specialises in hand-crafted bespoke upholstery and is just down the road from Thyme in the Cotswolds, so the opportunity to work with Caryn and Milly on creating bespoke furnishings for the hotel was a great way to showcase local craftsmanship. Each room required something different in terms of space and aesthetic, and a lot of development went into creating silhouettes and frameworks that would would compliment the striking patterns of the surrounding Bertioli fabrics and wallpapers.”

-  Nasia de la Haye - Lead Designer & MD of Lorfords Contemporary

Caryn: What are the first steps, when working on a collaboration like this?

Nasia: Our first step is always to ensure that we share the same approach to responsible, sustainable design that will have minimal impact on the environment. Bertioli completely ticked these boxes for us with a focus on local craftsmanship and respect for the natural world, so we were thrilled when Caryn approached us about a partnership.

The first step was a design meeting with Caryn and Milly to understand the objective of our design deliverables. We had a tour of Thyme, viewing the rooms and the grounds, which Caryn and Milly draw inspiration from, and we started brainstorming ways we can transform those natural inspirations into tangible furniture designs to suit their requirements.

I vividly remember Milly sharing a picture of a greenhouse they have on site and asking for it to become a headboard design. We started with a picture and developed concept drawings, technical drawings, custom details, prototypes and finally the end product. I spent a lot of time visiting Thyme and understanding the hospitality industry; the needs of the hotel as well as the needs of the customer of course, how to design to compliment the Bertioli fabrics with the same passion and beauty they present.

Caryn: How long does the design process take from the initial design to finished product?

Nasia: For this project it took a little over a year, which is a little longer than our typical collaborations take but absolutely necessary for both brands. The hospitality industry was new to us, and I wanted to spend all the time it deserved to understand it fully before proposing any designs, as well as the fact that alongside our furniture collaboration the Bertioli team was also developing and growing their fabrics and interiors line. We were both on a journey of learning and we wanted to remain true to the natural evolution of the collection, moving at a pace which felt calming, peaceful and most of all would last the test of time.

Caryn: What are the most enjoyable and most challenging moments in making bespoke custom made pieces?

Nasia: I love the creative challenges that each bespoke project presents. We’re working with lots of interior designers and clients each week, putting together completely different room schemes, that range hugely in terms of aesthetics from cottagecore to contemporary, kitsch to minimal.

As a designer, it keeps you on your toes, which I really enjoy, you’re introduced to so many different concepts it inspires you to constantly keep thinking and discover ideas. Some clients come to us with a very vague idea of what they want, others, with a very precise brief, and I enjoy the creative freedom to present a range of ideas about what we can create at the workshop and again push clients to think outside the box a bit more.

The most challenging moment is seeing your conceptual drawings become physical frameworks. At that point, you go from an idea on paper to a tangible product you can touch and need to develop into a finished piece of furniture.

Translating all the finishing details, comfort levels and ergonomics of those initial drawings to real pieces, is a very challenging part of the process and I couldn’t do it without our skilled team of experienced makers.  During this time there is a lot of back and forth, a lot of revisions, tests and development so ensuring each decision is the right one to finalise can be challenging, yet so rewarding.

Where and how can you purchase these Bertioli x Lorfords pieces?

You can purchase these designs online from Lorfords Contemporary and Bertioli.