The award winning work of Simon Pengelly spans aircraft interiors, furniture and homewares. David Harrison delves into the method driving this master maker
January 11th, 2013
They say that anyone can become an expert if they set their mind to it. There is a caveat of course – you have to dedicate at least 10,000 hours to it. UK designer, Simon Pengelly has clocked up a lot more hours than that in his chosen field.
Office Pod
He first started cabinet making at the age of eight, hanging out in his father’s joinery workshop and acquiring the type of skills that eventually led to him winning gold medals at the International Woodworker Shows and being named woodworker of the year in 1983 at the ripe old age of sixteen.
Babar Stool
Ten years on, Pengelly had made the shift from master maker to up-and-coming designer – completing a degree at Kingston University and setting up his own design studio. For the last 20 years he has been creating award-winning designs that reveal his heightened understanding of cabinet making and his love of simple, understated forms. His early work for UK homewares institution, Habitat, openly expressed his woodworking roots but in more recent times Pengelly has incorporated other, more high volume production materials into his design repertoire.
Pluto Ottoman
The critically acclaimed ‘Nuur’ table for Arper from 2009 is a prominent example, with the modular aluminium table system winning a swag of design awards culminating in the XXII Compasso d’oro in 2011.
Nuur Table
Upholstered pieces have also been a more recent focus for Pengelly, with curvaceous seating forms designed for numerous international furniture companies including Modus, La Palma, Montis and Johanson Design.
La Palma
Occasional forays into other fields have led to modern wood burning fireplaces for UK based Future Fires and even the interior of jet aircraft for Virgin Atlantic’s new ‘Upper Class’ suites.
Virgin Atlantic Uppler Class
According to Pengelly, his fundamental approach to furniture design involves a thorough understanding of materials and manufacturing techniques but he combines this with a passionate desire to create accessible production furniture with ‘soul’.
Hands On
“Quietness, possibly above all else, is a quality that the best products possess. There are few things more exciting and interesting to us than being able to make our mark with quiet design” says Pengelly.
Theo Bench and Theo Pew
This desire to work within the framework of familiar archetypes and to avoid loud, showy objects, is at the heart of Pengelly’s recent seating range for UK company, Chorus Furniture.
Theo Chair
The ‘Theo‘ stacking chair, stool, bench, pew and table, is an all-timber range using steam bent solid timber and moulded plywood. Pengelly’s clever interlocking structure maximizes lightness and reduces volume to allow stacking of up to thirty chairs.
Theo Stool
Born from a life spent understanding the physical properties of timber and how to stretch its possibilities, Pengelly has created a highly evolved range of furniture with simple, quiet beauty.
Pengelly Design
KE-ZU
Images © Pengelly Design
Read more: https://www.indesignlive.com/articles/Simon-Pengelly-A-Quiet-Quality#ixzz2IZtxJonE
A searchable and comprehensive guide for specifying leading products and their suppliers
Keep up to date with the latest and greatest from our industry BFF's!
Suitable for applications ranging from schools and retail outlets to computer rooms and X-ray suites, Palettone comes in two varieties and a choice of more than fifty colours.
Marylou Cafaro’s first trendjournal sparked a powerful, decades-long movement in joinery designs and finishes which eventually saw Australian design develop its independence and characteristic style. Now, polytec offers all-new insights into the future of Australian design.
In the pursuit of an uplifting synergy between the inner world and the surrounding environment, internationally acclaimed Interior Architect and Designer Lorena Gaxiola transform the vibration of the auspicious number ‘8’ into mesmerising artistry alongside the Feltex design team, brought to you by GH Commercial.
Savage Design’s approach to understanding the relationship between design concepts and user experience, particularly with metalwork, transcends traditional boundaries, blending timeless craftsmanship with digital innovation to create enduring elegance in objects, furnishings, and door furniture.
Continuing our new series on the design enthusiasts who work in all sorts of different roles across the industry, we speak to Rogerseller’s Claire Drummond.
With a focus on encouraging creativity, independent learning and connection to the outdoors, a number of innovative school designs have been shortlisted in this year’s NSW Architecture Awards.
The internet never sleeps! Here's the stuff you might have missed
DKO’s Interior Design Director on how to create community and specificity in interior design, and how apartment living is being reconceptualised.
By adding Muuto to its roster as Singapore’s only retailer, XTRA not only celebrates the enduring appeal of Scandinavian design – it heralds a whole new perspective on its universally appealing legacy.
The AIA Alta Wellness Haven offers the complete package for health and wellbeing away from the busy city life in Hong Kong and does it through a stellar interior design.
In the pursuit of an uplifting synergy between the inner world and the surrounding environment, internationally acclaimed Interior Architect and Designer Lorena Gaxiola transform the vibration of the auspicious number ‘8’ into mesmerising artistry alongside the Feltex design team, brought to you by GH Commercial.