Yorkshire-born Daniel Schofield is on a roll, as he launches a host of furniture pieces for British brands including Another Country, Ercol and SCP, as well as other international companies. Schofield’s trajectory has been swift: after the former carpentry apprentice graduated in furniture and product design at Sheffield Hallam University in 2011, he cut his teeth working at Benchmark for a year, where he formed a lasting relationship with Sir Terence Conran. ‘I still see Terence about once a week,’ says Schofield, who is now based in Woolwich in London. ‘We’re currently working on watches, speakers and interiors. And I hear a lot of interesting stories from him too!’
Buoyed by the design guru’s support (Conran had singled him out as ‘one to watch’), Schofield formed his own studio in 2012 and developed his pared-back aesthetic. Three years on, his ‘Tarnish’ collection of brass accessories won him an ELLE Decoration British Design Award. Further professional endorsement came last year when he was selected to participate in the ‘100% Futures’ exhibition at the London Design Festival, where seven established designers each champion an emerging creative; Schofield was selected by furniture and product designer Simon Pengelly.
Schofield credits his LDF participation with the boost in his public profile, which has led to the current flurry of collaborations, the first of which – with British heritage brand Ercol – is about to debut. Much to his surprise, the firm has decided to put several of his designs into production: ‘I thought they would choose just one piece,’ he smiles. One of the items, the sculptural ‘Tenon’ table, takes its name from the joint that merges the base and top. The ‘Ore’ table, meanwhile, extends the brand’s timber-focused palette to include a hand-processed cast-iron base.
Flying the flag for British design, other forthcoming releases include the ‘Backer’ chair for Hayche, which is defined by sweeping plywood curves; the linoleum-topped ‘Valley’ cabinet for Very Good & Proper; a sofa system for Another Country; storage for Deadgood; and a sofa and tables for SCP.
There’s still time for personal projects. Schofield is developing a clay-plaster finish, as well as a colourful eco-friendly compressed woodboard made from recycled wood chips. ‘I try to solve problems in the simplest way, distilling the result into something clean and understated,’ he says, championing the utilitarian ethos of Good Design. ‘My aim is to create useful and timeless products.’ danielschofield.co.uk
This article first appeared in ELLE Decoration October 2019
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