Lorfords Contemporary x Turner Pocock - 'The Swedish Bench'

We're thrilled to say that we've been back working again with formidable design duo, Bunny Turner and Emma Pocock - of award-winning design studio Turner Pocock - to bring a brand new design to our 'Lorfords Contemporary x TP' collection.

The original TP designs were introduced back in 2022 with a series of sofas, armchairs & ottomans (you can see full catalogue here), but for this season we're introducing a new statement ‘Swedish Bench’ that brings a change of aesthetic. 

“All of our collaboration projects stem from not being able to find what we are looking for in the existing interiors marketplace and our new design is no exception,” says Bunny. “This classically inspired piece - with its unusual ladder frame that runs around the whole seat - has become the lynch pin of my own hallway, creating drama and scale in a challenging double height space and is a design that we thought could translate well in a variety of modern and traditional interiors.”

You may have actually seen Bunny's home in the November 2023 issue of Condenast House & Garden where the new bench takes pride of place in the shoot. You can get a preview of the article online here.

But back to the bench. The framework itself is hand-built from FSC certified beech and timber which is then tenoned together with beech domino slatwork. Intricate detailing - to accentuate the shape and proportions of the bench - is all spindled by hand; fluting is created with a router and sanded and ball finials are turned by hand on a lathe before being hand finished in the paint of the customer's choice. The cushioned, upholstered top, which is webbed and sprung in the workshop, is then layered with wool and naturally sourced cushioning, ready to be covered in the final bespoke fabric. You're able to work with our workshop to create any size and configuration that you require for each specific project.

We’ve really enjoyed experimenting with different paint colours and fabrics to create different personalities for this design. For a sophisticated, classical look - like Bunny has chosen - you could opt for black painted base with gilt detailing and couple this with monochrome ticking fabric to achieve an antique finish that layers into her existing interiors seamlessly. See our 'Antiqued Finish' design here.

But on the flip-side, we can also imagine this bench finished with a bold and bright painted framework, coupled with more abstract, playful fabric that will elevate this into a statement piece for contemporary spaces. Take a look at our 'Flat Colour' design here for inspiration.

You can view the full Lorfords Contemporary x Turner Pocock collection here.