A team of Huddersfield-based furniture designers is catching the attention of the art world.
The Dyehouse, based at Armitage Bridge and founded by Mark Lee – architect, designer and managing partner at One17 Architects – has forged successful relationships with the world-renowned Yorkshire Sculpture Park (YSP) at Bretton and specialist art boutique Nomad Atelier in Barnsley.
The Dyehouse designs high-end, bespoke furniture crafted from timber, steel and leather – with the emphasis on scale, proportion, quality of detail and finish.
One of the Dyehouse Collection’s signature sculptural pieces – a large, oak bench weighing more than 300kg – has now been installed in the main visitors’ centre at YPS.
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The park includes the work of many British and international artists, including Henry Moore and Barbara Hepworth and is currently displaying the first UK exhibition of work by renowned American artist KAWS – and having one of its pieces sit alongside those from established artists is a major coup for the Dyehouse team, who have been operating for less than six months.
American artist KAWS at the YSP below
Said Mark: “I am delighted with how far we have come in such a short space of time. We set out to design a collection that is not only striking aesthetically, but is also practical and can be used every day.”
He said the bench epitomised this aim, adding: “It’s dramatic in its size and execution being cut from one piece of timber, but at the end of the day it’s a bench and it was designed to be sat on.”
He said: “ For me, it’s particularly gratifying to see how families interact with the piece. It’s been very well received and as a designer, that’s what you hope for.”
Nina Rogers, marketing and PR manager at YPS, said: “We welcomed the opportunity to support a local design led company. The very nature of what Dyehouse produces fits with the sculpture park in its scale and sculptural nature.
“Their furniture is entirely appropriate for our spaces. The bench has been a big hit with the visitors, many of whom have commented on its beauty and craftsmanship.”
During his career, Mark has designed many pieces of furniture – most of which began life as bespoke commissions for One17’s residential projects.
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The Dyehouse Collection is his first collection consisting of homeware and indoor and outdoor furniture aimed at the consumer.
A selection of the work is on exhibition at the Nomad Atelier Gallery in The Tobacco Warehouse, Barnsley – one of the region’s top art exhibition spaces. The items feature alongside Spanish artist, Florit Nin and internationally acclaimed ceramicist, Ashraf Hanna.
“I have known about One17 for many years but I was particularly excited when I heard they had branched out into furniture,” said Rita Britton, founder of Nomad Atelier. “Dyehouse’s ethos fits with what we do at Nomad – using the best available materials and craftspeople to achieve excellence in design and function.”
