The commission for Halstock Cabinet Makers was a triptych to include all aspects of what the company do.
I went to meet the team at Halstock, and tour the offices and workshops which is a must by the way – its a fascinating place. Ideas would come from the interior designers in the most prestigious parts of central London, and be translated through gorgeous design right down to practicalities by the management team. Drawings would go from rough sketches to CAD. The technical drawings of dots and dashes mean everything to the cabinet makers who make them into live products that get slotted perfectly into place in the London homes because of measurements and communication!
I was shown that the raw wood, through the machinery, could be manipulated into wafer thin veneers or 3D shapes. How spraying had to be in a completely dust free environment, of course! How mirrored polishes and felt look stunning on doors with the shiniest brass handles. It makes you want to touch!
Modern technology is in it’s full mind blowing glory here: how the two directors sit in tiny offices only big enough for a lap top, a map and a white board. When asking the various factions of staff what they thought epitomised Halstock, it became clear to me that everyone seemed to be aware of all the processes the furniture take from start to finish and everyone knows everyone. That meetings were central to proceedings, and so were the white boards.
The two directors, are depicted on the left amongst one of their most iconic designs, which I chose as it has a more raw form of wood in the beams contrasting harmoniously with the sleek design edges and finishes. The meeting room is in the central panel with the samples whirling round and design ideas emanating from the design team through the projected computer screen behind them. The right hand panel is the work shop, from the top to the bottom are the processes of communication trickling down through stacked wood and kitchen units. All the way through the triptych runs the Thames and pins in the map indicating the properties under Halstock’s management. And top to bottom is the green canopy of the trees suggested by the Halstock logo, running down to the paint effects delineating the offices and clean finishes of the furniture.
It was a delightful commission to have worked on and I very much enjoyed getting to know the workings of such a diverse company that spans so many processes.