Wednesday, October 13, 2010

William Yeoward

Several weeks ago I attended a presentation/book signing at the Washington Design Center starring the British designer, William Yeoward. Yeoward was in DC to debut his third book, William Yeoward At Home, which takes the reader through his home in the Cotswolds and his urban flat in London. Both homes are filled with his fine crystal and beautiful upholstery and textiles. He was also here to debut his furniture line now available to the US!

I was not very familiar with Yeoward before he came to Washington as all his designs were sold only in the UK. However, he has recently established a relationship with Edward Ferrell + Lewis Mittman to bring his products to the US and, they are available to the trade through showrooms in NY, Atlanta and DC.

William Yeoward at the EF+LM showroom

William is not only a charming Brit (his presentation was hilarious!) but an amazing designer as well. His humble philosophy of what makes good design makes me want to buy as much as possible from him. He began making furniture because he didn't have the means to buy expensive, hand-crafted furniture, so he thought, why not just try his hand at making it!

His designs have a unique quality that balances a respect for the British traditions with a modern, whimsical approach to the design. I'm actually using his Asti Extending table in a current project of mine, and I'm excited as it was the perfect table for the project. I've posted several pictures of his items below that will give you a good sense of these cheery designs.


A chair with some personality! I love the lines and how the curves of the top are repeated in the cushion and seat of the frame. Leave it to William to take "paying attention to detail" to another level!



Love the scale of this chair and the use of mixed patterns.


This handsome table is the one I'm using for a client project. Isn't he dashing? One of Yeoward's crystal lamps on top - truly a work of art.


I can just picture this as a banquet for a dining nook. Perfect proportions.





This is a chair you could sit in for hours around a long meal with lots of wine.





Another fabulous crystal lamp.


Also, the most recent issue of Elle Decor highlighted Yeoward and his new US presence.