Timothy Oulton’s unique style continues to evolve with its growing collection of daring, authentic handcraftsmanship. Its portfolio now includes furniture, hand-finished leather bags, premium bedding, kitchens and vintage one-off pieces. Four new collections are introduced for 2014; Jet, Adventurer, Age of Elegance, and Coastal Drift which brings out a lighter, more laid-back side to the brand.
Timothy Oulton is known for its reinterpretation of classic designs through modern eyes, repurposing them into something fresh and exciting. A respect for the old is balanced with a healthy streak of innovation to create pieces relevant for today’s lifestyle. Only the finest materials are used, from South American leather to century-old wood reclaimed from English distilleries.
The brand’s handcrafted bedding collection, Perpetual, proves an unrivalled concept in both quality and innovation. Designed for supreme comfort, rejuvenation and energy, each bed is tailor-made for those who know that being rested and recharged are essential for the challenges of a full life.
Generous amounts of the world’s best pure materials are used including New Zealand wool, Mongolian horsehair, silk, flax and birch to ensure a totally natural bed.
The bags and small accessories collection is made with the same exacting handcraftsmanship as the furniture, using the finest aniline leather. Originally inspired by Tim’s love of antique luggage, this ruggedly sophisticated collection has grown into a highly versatile range which can suit both casual and formal styles. Classic designs are taken up a notch into modern life with each bag designed to improve with age and wear as it accompanies you on life’s adventures.
Timothy Oulton continues its plan of opening new stores in carefully selected ‘great cities’, with galleries recently opened in Auckland, Saudi Arabia, Melbourne, Moscow, Canada and Hong Kong, plus an intimate Inspiration store in Amsterdam’s city centre - focussing on the bags collection – which is in addition to the main gallery.
About Timothy Oulton
Before he went into the antiques trade, Tim’s father was a major in the British Army. It’s from him that Tim got a taste for military pageantry (and a bit of a thing for drums). When he left school Tim thought he might end up becoming a man in a suit, but in that first summer when he worked for his dad’s antique business he got the bug. He fell in love with beautiful old things that carry secrets and stories in the leather and the wood, and there was no going back. Years of scanning flea markets uncovered Tim’s instinct for finding the most beautiful pieces. He loves antiques, but recognises their limitations. The Timothy Oulton vision is bigger than simply trading in old beauties. It is a passion to make beautiful and practical furniture, inspired by the past but re-visioned to be relevant for today.
Quality craftsmanship really matters, there are no cutting corners. The best quality leathers from South America are hand tumbled to a soft worn finish. Individually hand-tied spring systems ensure a secure and comfortable seat. Hand-stitching, traditional joinery and hand-tufting all take time. Tim says, “If it takes 12 days to make it, I’m drawn to it. The more intricate and detailed it is, the more authentic and unique it will be.”
Timothy Oulton cares about the provenance of the materials as much as the skills of its craftspeople. Reclaimed weathered timber might come from decommissioned Chinese fishing junks in the Axel range, or the century-old doors of an English distillery in the Salvage range. Pieces are designed to celebrate the history of the materials and to give them a second life, with imperfections and ‘signs of life’ considered by Tim to be marks of authenticity and soul.
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All photography by Antonio Diaz.
