John Pawson’s third collaboration with Tekla takes its design cues from the British designer’s Oxfordshire family home. The bed frame, bedding and textiles of the new collection draw on the natural colour palettes of his 17th-century farmhouse Home Farm, encompassing simple and cleanly drawn forms in a minimalist take on the domestic.
‘When I am designing furniture pieces, the precedents that influence my thinking are principally the work of Donald Judd and of midcentury Danish designers, such as Hans Wegner,’ says Pawson of the aesthetic of the new collection. ‘I wanted to create a stripped-back form that would function without compromise as both a bed and a day bed. The simple hinged panel is the defining move that accommodates this transformation.’
The bed is crafted from oiled elm and set on a low platform, its hinged headrest making it ideal for reading. The white bedding, in 100 per cent cotton, has a comfortable tactility, a result of its textured surface. A bedspread and cushion covers in 97 per cent linen with 3 per cent silk in muted hues make a natural accompaniment to the set.
It is the first time Pawson has created furniture for Tekla, after two previous partnerships focused on blankets inspired by the lush countryside surrounding his house. In earthy reds and soft greys, they capture the shifting of the seasons as reflected in the woods and landscapes of the Cotswolds. ‘All of my work springs from an attitude towards space, surface, proportion and light and the idea of achieving a state of simplicity through reduction,’ Pawson says.
For the designer, the time felt right to build on this history. ‘I like collaborations that extend beyond a single project,’ he adds. ‘Over time, the trust builds, the conversations grow richer and the scope for pushing the ideas deepens.’ §
