Could you tell us a little bit more about yourself and what made you start the business? 

 

I’ve always been creative and developed an interest in woodwork whilst studying 3D Design for Sustainability at Falmouth University. Whilst at university, I became a bit obsessed with innovative design, sustainably sourced materials and the traditional, eco-friendly process of steam bending.    

 

Starting my business seemed like a natural step to take after years of perfecting my own specialist steam bending technique. I started off making a few pendant lights and the business kept developing to where it is today. We now handcraft a range of steam-bent furniture, lighting and accessories in our workshop in Falmouth and we’ve also designed and made a number of larger bespoke projects over the years. 
 

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What inspires your work? 

 

We’re very lucky to live and work in Cornwall, so a lot of my designs are inspired by my surroundings. The natural world has a big influence on my work, so living in such a rugged, wild and beautiful county gives me a constant source of inspiration. For example, our Comber Range was inspired by the beautiful organic shapes of the Cornish coastline. 
 

 
What is the most important thing for you in your business?

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Sustainability and good design have always been at the heart of our business, which is why we invest so much in our skilled team of makers and strive to use the best materials. As a company, we’re very conscious of our ecological footprint, so to reduce this as much as possible, we’ve developed our processes to protect the environment accordingly.  

 

By its nature, steam bending is a very low-energy process that relies only on heat and water and consequently, produces very little waste, and we also use sustainably sourced FSC certified wood for creating our designs. We’ve also recently moved to a purpose-built BREEAM excellent rated workshop and studios located that runs off renewable energy, our team often participate in local beach cleans and tree planting days to help create a greener environment. 

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A little story or an anecdote you would like to share?

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My team often catch me leaving meetings early to ‘bend some wood', when in fact I’ve snuck into the kitchen for a biscuit and quick cup of coffee and a chat!  

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Based In: Falmouth, United Kingdom

Product Range:  Lightening and Furniture 

Website: tomraffield.com

Instagram: @tomraffield