The Westcountry is an inspirational place. Whether it’s the light, the air, or the water, there is definitely something in the South West corner of our fair isle that fires the creative spirit.
And Young & Norgate, a small group of designers and craftsmen based in Devon, are clearly not immune to its magic; “Spending a lot of time outdoors is good for the spirit. We’re all outdoor types and Devon offers loads to do outside the workshop; whether it’s surfing on the North Coast or paragliding over local cliffs. Maybe this freedom reflects in our work” Dave Young told me.
Perhaps it does. Their work has a simple, understated aesthetic. It has a certain calmness to it. It also has a real sense of integrity that is in keeping with their natural surroundings.
“As a business we’re very much ‘hands on’. Everything we do is by hand, from the design creation to the shaping of the timber. It’s a human approach, which hopefully reflects personality in our work. We are keen to carry on the tradition and heritage of making furniture, using these time-honoured techniques to make contemporary pieces. We want to make pieces of furniture that will be cherished and passed on through generations.”
Having met at college, Dave Young and Ross Norgate were grilling sausages over a camp fire in North Devon when they realised that not only were they both seeking a more hands on approach to designing and making furniture, but that between them they had the skills to combine a design studio and workshop under one roof, enabling them to control the entire design process from initial idea right through to end product.
Their products are made from locally sourced FSC certified timber; and leather for finishing touches comes from Scotland. Each item is made to order in a limited edition of just 100. “I think people like to be individual. By offering something unique in design and limited in production we are making something special. We also want to work within our capacity – we don’t want to turn into manufacturing robots – and if we were to start outsourcing our manufacturing we would lose efficiency and potentially quality. For us, that’s not what it’s about. If it’s not right it doesn’t go out the door. And we are fairly fussy.”
And why the fox? “Generally hangs out in the woods, often seen in Devon and reasonably crafty – it just made sense.”
