The unique chair created by an automative design guru has been awarded a bespoke guild mark
An exclusive lounge chair created by top automotive designer Ian Callum and his team at design and engineering business, CALLUM, has been awarded the Bespoke Guild Mark by the City of London livery company and furnishing industry charity, The Furniture Makers’ Company, in recognition of its design credentials and winning combination of beauty and ergonomics. Ian Callum, one of the UK’s most celebrated car designers, counts the Aston Martin Vanquish, Vantage and DB9 amongst his creations. He spent two decades at Jaguar designing models including the F-Type and C-X75. The CALLUM Lounge Chair is the CALLUM team’s first furniture design project and has been widely acclaimed by the furniture industry.
Inspired by eames
The unique chair, which costs from £8,500, is inspired by the iconic 1956 Eames lounge chair and is designed to create an elegant and efficient ‘lightness’, both physically and visually. Floating wooden forms are connected by a modern, minimalist skeletal structure of carbon fibre and steel, with a moulded plywood shell encased in a eucalyptus veneer and finished in leather trim.
Each exclusive, handcrafted chair can be made to the customer’s colour and finish specification with two heights and 10 leather options available. ‘It’s an incredible honour to be awarded such prestigious recognition as the Bespoke Guild Mark,’ said Ian, design director at CALLUM.
‘While the CALLUM team has vast experience and achieved recognition in the automotive industry, our intention with the business is to create bespoke and low volume products that really excite us across a broad range of sectors. I have always wanted to explore the challenges of furniture design and was delighted when our design study was so well received. ‘For this project to result in the furniture industry’s ultimate design-maker accolade is humbling and true testament to how the entire CALLUM team applies itself wholeheartedly to new challenges.’
For this project to result in the furniture industry’s ultimate design-maker accolade is humbling and true testament to how the entire CALLUM team applies itself wholeheartedly to new challenges.
Daniel Hopwood, Bespoke Guild Mark chairman at The Furniture Makers’ Company said: ‘We’d like to congratulate Ian and his team on the CALLUM Lounge Chair, which is a real triumph and demonstrates how the most outstanding design can transcend industries.
‘Carrying unrivalled design credentials across from automotive design to this exquisite piece of furniture is an incredible feat and one that is deserving of the Bespoke Guild Mark, which we only award to the most meticulous, luxurious and highly crafted pieces of bespoke furniture. Since its launch in 1958, it has been the apex of distinctions for UK designer-makers and as such we only award it to very exceptional pieces.’
Callum
CALLUM is a design and engineering business that creates and crafts its own bespoke and limited-edition products, and provides consultancy and services to partners and third parties. Combining progressive design with engineering that pushes boundaries, CALLUM’s products and services span automotive, lifestyle, and travel.
Nimble and agile, CALLUM operates from its 20,000ft2 facility in Warwick that houses the latest technology to deliver: design; 3D modelling, printing and scanning; colour, materials and finishes development; whole vehicle engineering; vehicle development and homologation testing; prototyping; machining and
trim services.
CALLUM takes a collaborative approach: bringing together a team of over 20 talented individuals with experience across art, audio, automotive, fashion and motorsport, as well as embracing opportunities to collaborate with other businesses. Striving to build a legacy through innovative design and engineering, CALLUM takes on projects that intrigue and excite, creating stories that stir the imagination.
Established in July 2019, CALLUM’s founding members include British designer Ian Callum CBE, admired for his prolific automotive work that includes the Aston Martin Vanquish. Through its Next Generation initiative, CALLUM strives to support and nurture young minds and talent, fostering an environment that encourages peer-to-peer learning to ensure CALLUM remains relevant, progressive and true to its roots.
The bespoke guild mark
The Bespoke Guild Mark is awarded by The Furniture Makers’ Company, the City of London livery company and charity for the furnishing industry. The prize recognises excellence in design, materials, craftsmanship and function for exquisite pieces of furniture and fitted furniture made as single items or a limited run. It is awarded to beautifully crafted pieces of bespoke furniture and, since its launch in 1958, has been the apex of distinctions for UK designer-makers.
PHOTOGRAPHS COURTESY OF THE FURNITURE MAKERS’ COMPANY