12 minute read
GARDENS OUTDOOR SPACES
GARDEN & OUTSIDE SPACES
Landscape designers, accessories and furniture to take your garden to new heights
EAST LONDON PARASOL COMPANY
Beautiful handmade garden parasols
In India the parasol was once considered a symbol of royalty, often seen protecting a Maharaja from the tropical sun as he sat proudly in his bejewelled howdah, high on an elephant’s back. Today, this ancient tradition of the splendidly ornamental umbrella is flourishing again thanks to the East London Parasol Company.
Launched in 2016 by Lucy Ferguson, the brand produces artisan parasols with elegant, timeless bases – materials include carved wood, terrazzo and stone. These are complemented with matching cushions, napkins and decadent, handmade rattan chairs that infuse any outdoor space with colour and elegance.
The last few years have been tremendously successful for the East London Parasol Company as dining outdoors has become increasingly popular.
Ranging from bright colours and floral patterns to contemporary prints with tasselled and scallopedges, the brand’s parasols are a simple yet attractive way to extend any living area outside. Parasolshaded setups have brightened celebrations, dinner parties and all kinds of gatherings (social media is a testament to the company’s following, with much of its Instagram account made up of customer photos).
They are perfect for providing stylish shade for long al fresco lunches or for creating a festival or holiday vibe, or for afternoons lounging in the garden with a good book.
East London Parasol Company has long worked with craftsmen in India and Indonesia, but more
East London Parasol Company’s vibrant prints and joyful designs have proven popular as more people are drawn to al fresco living recently it has also begun production in the UK. Here, it employs local Hampshire carpenters who had previously been making stage scenery but had to diversify due to the pandemic. Each parasol is a labour of love, constructed using traditional methods: the frames are made from sustainable FSC-certified ash wood, while the brass fixtures and fittings are bespoke, with a maritime feel inspired by yacht fittings. The brand is proud of its role in keeping artisans in work and their age-old skills alive. The fact that the parasols are handmade is an essential element of their appeal: many of these processes cannot be mechanised without compromising the beauty of the fabrics. Founder and designer Lucy strongly believes in giving back and has partnered with One Tree Planted, a not-for-profit charity with a mission to help global reforestation efforts. The company plants a tree in India and Indonesia for every parasol sold.
This year’s collection is a kaleidoscope of polka dots, stripes and pastel colours, with a broad range of influences that include 1970s spirograph patterns, ikat weaving and the late photographer, Slim Aarons.
‘Last year was meteorologically miserable. It was inspiring and expansive to work with beautiful colours and patterns, and to look forward to sunnier times ahead. We hope our colourful new designs lift spirits and herald a summer of sunshine,’ says Lucy.
There is also a new collaboration with British artist Harriet Popham, who has created a playful, whimsical print inspired by willow pattern and chinoiserie, which tells the story of East London Parasol Company. Looking ahead, the brand will continue to champion craftsmanship and maker partnerships, and produce ever more fabulous designs that encourage people to celebrate colour in their outdoor space.
East London Parasol Company
eastlondonparasols.com eastlondonparasolco
GAZE BURVILL
Beautiful, sustainable outdoor furniture and kitchens, craftsman-made in Hampshire
Started in 1993 by Simon Burvill and Christian Gaze, the company’s mission from the outset was to create beautifully crafted outdoor furniture without using tropical woods. The pair decided to source oak of the very finest quality, as recommended by Gertrude Jekyll, doyenne of British garden design. Minimising impact on the environment is central to its ethos, as is Gaze Burvill’s commitment to both keeping traditional wood-working skills alive, and embracing the latest technological and digital best practice. The company cherishes its team of highly skilled craftsmen, designers, apprentices, aftercare technicians and support staff, and is proud to provide a top-level customer service for clients; these include lead international garden designers, private owners of the most beautiful homes and gardens, and some of the country’s finest public gardens.
With Gaze Burvill’s established expertise in creating furniture specifically for the outdoor environment, the company was approached to make kitchens too. Gone are the days of the unsightly BBQ monster hidden in a corner of the terrace: customers are seeking the same sleek, high-performing kitchen experience outside as they would expect from their space inside. Fine cabinetry, the best appliances, and a personal design service are now de rigueur. Gaze Burvill’s experience and knowledge of creating a smart cooking arrangement that will stand the test of time has meant that outdoor kitchens are an important part of what the company does. Whether a small-but-beautiful mobile kitchen for a London
Gaze Burvill’s oak garden seating designs are intended to weather beautifully and stand the test of time
terrace, or a dramatic ‘Oval Broadwalk’ table that seats 14, Gaze Burvill can design something that exudes timeless elegance.
The company’s commitment to protecting the planet’s resources remains key. The workshop is heated by a biomass boiler, fuelled with wood waste, which is topped up with energy from the solar panels on the roof (which also powers the electric car chargers). The oak used comes from certified, sustainably planted and re-planted British and European forests and has been carefully nurtured for more than a century, purely for the purpose of providing wood for use in furniture making, for example. Gaze Burvill champions this cycle of careful forest management, and, as the public understanding of its benefits grows, people are increasingly preferring to invest in wood – one of nature’s oldest carbon-locking materials. Gaze Burvill furniture and cabinetry is designed for long life, adapting to the caprices of the climate and gently turning silver with time, but an aftercare service is offered to help keep pieces in tip-top condition for even longer.
Gaze Burvill has always had a magnificent – and multi-award winning – display at RHS Chelsea Flower Show and visits to the Hampshire workshop and showroom are welcome by prior appointment. The collection provides an excellent choice of garden seats and landscape pieces, such as tree seats and garden spirals, as well as dining arrangement options, which can be paired with comfortable seating (comfort is a key mission when designing a seat of any kind). Good design and true originality that doesn’t compromise on craftsmanship define these outdoor collections which will elevate any al fresco space.
Gaze Burvill
Lodge Farm East Tisted, Alton Hampshire GU34 3QH +44 (0)1420 588444 gazeburvill.com gazeburvill
HARRISON OVENS
Handmade, heritage charcoal ovens for stunning outdoor living spaces
With its beginnings in the world of world-class professional cuisine, Harrison Ovens is a name synonymous with marrying high performance and iconic design. This has led to Harrison being commissioned to make ovens for the finest Michelin-starred restaurants and culinary masters like Jason Atherton and Yotam Ottolenghi, as well as for designers of the most impressive superyachts in the world.
Since 2011, Harrison Oven’s founder, designer, engineer and maker, Daniel Thumwood, has not stopped exploring ways in which to contain fire, control it and deliver a cooking experience that puts the chef in control of the flames. His philosophy is to make heritage pieces that are built to last a lifetime. In a world of mass production and high-speed living, he uses manufacturing skills reminiscent of more authentic bygone methods. Quality is everything therefore Harrison Ovens operates a waiting list system, which has led to the ovens being the most sought-after outdoor cooking appliance there is.
In 2021, ‘Harrison at Home’ was launched, which brought these striking ovens to the outdoor kitchens of some of the most beautiful homes around the world, including in the UK, Switzerland, Portugal, Germany, Sweden and the USA. In 2022, Harrison Ovens wowed the crowds at The Chelsea Flower Show with its award-winning Kent Coastal Foraging Garden, which captured the imagination of visitors with industrial-chic ovens that rose from the beautiful planting scheme like sculptures.
Whether grilling, baking, steaming, slow cooking, roasting or smoking – using charcoal or wood – a Harrison Oven can maintain the highest or
The Harrison range comes in a variety of colours and finishes for all kinds of outdoor spaces
lowest temperatures for hours, with an even, radiant heat that negates the need for a rotisserie by retaining moisture and flavour. It raises the question why anyone would limit themselves to a pizza oven as perfect pizza is just one thing a Harrison can do –in three minutes, at 350°C, with no need to turn. Higher temperatures are easily achievable, but not necessary.
The Harrison collection includes ‘The Classic’, which comes with an optional stainless steel cabinet on wheels to make transporting it outside from the kitchen easy; ‘The Icon’, which has two ovens in one that cook at two different temperatures; and most recently ‘The Atom’, which includes an oven, a plancha and a hob. All the ovens are customisable with a curated range of colours and finishes to enhance the most stylish outdoor kitchen spaces.
Committed to sustainability, this tiny company on the coast of Kent is vitally aware of the environmental impact that charcoal production has on the planet, which leads to mass deforestation. As well as recommending that their clients only use sustainably sourced, local charcoal, Harrison Ovens accept that the onus is on them, not the individual, to make a difference. In partnership with the forestry activist organisation 9Trees, Harrison Ovens has pledged to plant three trees for each oven purchased. The hope is to increase this over the coming years as the business grows. In the words of Yotam Ottolenghi: ‘The hero is The Harrison Oven’.
Harrison Ovens
Unit 2, Sharpes Place Ellington Road, Ramsgate Kent CT11 9TD +44 (0)20 3858 0568 harrisonovens.com harrisonovens
THE HEVENINGHAM COLLECTION
Elegant iron furniture, custom-made in the UK
Established by Annie Eadie in 1990, The Heveningham Collection is a company that creates sought-after metal garden furniture. Annie began her career working for Nina Campbell and John Stefanidis before launching her own interior design business. It was during this time that she was asked by a client if she could supply a range of luxury iron garden furniture. After searching across the
UK, she realised that there was nothing of sufficiently high quality and style available to meet the brief. And so The Heveningham Collection was born.
From the outset Annie’s mission was to create a range of outdoor metal furniture that is timeless and sophisticated, and that would last a lifetime.
Since those early days, the pieces have always been handmade at a UK forge by a team of craftsmen and, today, The Heveningham Collection can be found in many great houses, palaces and hotels internationally (including The Connaught, The Beaumont, Claridge’s and the Mandarin Oriental in London). This is beautiful furniture that requires no maintenance and is perfect for lounging in the garden, terrace, conservatory or by the pool.
The company carries a standard range – including elegant dining sets, chaise longue, armchairs and tables in a variety of sizes, bar stools, benches, trolleys, Versailles tubs and swing seats – which can be viewed by appointment. Only the finest materials are used throughout the manufacturing process and
Handmade in the UK, the collection can be found in many great houses all furniture is hot zinc-coated, followed by a custom powder coating process with a choice of black, dark green, gunmetal or white. This ensures that the pieces are both luxurious and highly durable so that they can be left outside throughout the year. Special colours and finishes are also available on request. The comfortable cushions are supplied plain or buttoned in various colours of Sunbrella showerproof fabric. The tables tops come in many sizes in a choice of glass, limestone, granite or marble.
The Heveningham Collection also undertakes bespoke commissions for individual projects, and works with both private and corporate clients. Their designs have proved extremely popular with clients in the UK, Europe and North America, and have been selected for residences on the Côte d’Azur, as well as destinations such as Tuscany, Geneva, New York, Toronto, Aspen and Virginia. During the past 30 years the company has built enduring relationships with many leading interior designers and landscape architects (including Randle Siddeley, Veere Grenney, Guy Goodfellow, Commune Design, Finchatton, Helen Green Design and VSP Interiors) to provide solutions for their clients.
Annie herself remains central to this process, listening carefully to design briefs and using her in-depth knowledge and experience to ensure furniture and fabrics are perfectly matched to expectations. She has always insisted on maintaining a consistent and instantly recognisable style; as a result, clients often return, sometimes after many years, to add to their collections. The Heveningham Collection is the ultimate in luxury outdoor furniture and brings comfort and elegance to gardens and terraces all over the world.
The Heveningham Collection
+44 (0)1424 838483 heveningham.co.uk theheveninghamcollection
