Luke Hughes (furniture designer)
Encyclopedia
Luke Hughes is one of the UK’s leading furniture designers and an accomplished mountaineer. He and his practice (Luke Hughes and Company Ltd) have designed and made furniture for 50 Oxbridge colleges, 70 parish churches, 11 cathedrals, 5 Royal Palaces , 2 synagogues and 900 corporate boardrooms, including Diageo
Unilever
, Bloomberg and Reuters. As a mountaineer, his expeditions over 25 years include exploring unmapped areas of central Tibet .
Early life
Luke Hughes was born on 11 May 1957, educated at Salisbury Cathedral School
and St Paul’s School, London before gaining an open history scholarship to Peterhouse, Cambridge
in 1974. His final degree was in History of Art & Architecture. Luke acquired cabinet-making skills in the 1970s while working with the harpsichord maker Michael Johnson (then based near Luke’s home in Donhead, Wiltshire) during school and university holidays.
Design Career
Hughes set up Bloomsbury Joinery, a small craft workshop in the back-yard of a house in Lamb’s Conduit Street, London, in 1978, before purchasing the freehold of a former banana warehouse in Stukeley Street, Covent Garden, in 1981 – a building which, in 2011, still houses part of his studio. He established Luke Hughes and Company in 1986, while producing design work and prototypes for Liberty & Co. and John Lewis Partnership
.
Hughes's design philosophy is heavily influenced by the principles of the Arts and Crafts Movement
, not least about the nature of craftsmanship. Another central principle is that in any quality building, the connection between architecture and furniture should be seamless: most buildings cannot function without furniture, yet inappropriate pieces grossly undermine great architecture. Luke Hughes has written extensively about these issues. He is a regular writer for the architectural profession (mostly on timber and materials) and lectures internationally on sustainability.
Since 1990, he has focussed on design for public spaces, particularly in the educational, ecclesiastical, corporate and leisure sectors – usually for buildings with significant architectural interiors, historic or contemporary. His work is the subject of books, articles, awards and has been featured in exhibitions.
Significant Projects
In 2010, he was shortlisted for a Walpole Award for British Luxury Design Talent . The award is given to an individual who has maintained the highest standard of British Design talent through innovation and design combined with British craftsmanship.
Contribution to the Design and Crafts Industry
He was a member of the Crafts Council
1991-97, Chairman of their Grants Committee 1994-7, Chairman of the Art Workers Guild
, and Honorary Designer for the Worshipful Company of Furniture Makers
. He has been a member of the Fabric Advisory Committee for Southwark Cathedral
and was a judge for the Wood Awards
(2006-9) and for the Koestler Trust
(2010) which encourages art in prisons.
He is a Fellow of the Royal Society for the encouragement of Arts, Manufactures & Commerce and of the Royal Geographical Society
. Since 1994, he has been a Freeman of the City of London, and, since 1996, a Liveryman of the Worshipful Company of Carpenters
, and, since 1995, a Liveryman of the Worshipful Company of Furniture Makers
. He remains a member of the Art Workers Guild
(since 1986), the Alpine Club
and the Garrick Club
(since 1990).
Mountaineering and other interests
As a mountaineer, he has scaled the North Face of the Eiger
(September 1986), climbed within 100m of the summit of Everest (May 1988), and made expeditions to Greenland
(July 1992). Over 25 years he made more than a dozen trips to the Himalayas to explore much of the unmapped, unexplored areas of central Tibet
.
He spent his gap year before university, in 1975, serving as a midshipman with Blue Funnel Line
, during one of the final years before container ships took over from cargo-liners, working in the Far East. In the late 1970s, he was also a volunteer diver on the excavation of the Mary Rose
, the Tudor warship that sank in the Solent in 1545.
Books & Articles by Luke Hughes
Awards
Further reading
Diageo
Diageo plc is a global alcoholic beverages company headquartered in London, United Kingdom. It is the world's largest producer of spirits and a major producer of beer and wine....
Unilever
Unilever
Unilever is a British-Dutch multinational corporation that owns many of the world's consumer product brands in foods, beverages, cleaning agents and personal care products....
, Bloomberg and Reuters. As a mountaineer, his expeditions over 25 years include exploring unmapped areas of central Tibet .
Early life
Luke Hughes was born on 11 May 1957, educated at Salisbury Cathedral School
Salisbury Cathedral School
Salisbury Cathedral School is a school located in Salisbury, Wiltshire, England. It was founded in 1091 by Saint Osmund at Old Sarum . It was moved 150 years later to the newly built Salisbury Cathedral. In 1947 it was relocated to the former Bishop's Palace in the grounds of the cathedral. The...
and St Paul’s School, London before gaining an open history scholarship to Peterhouse, Cambridge
Peterhouse, Cambridge
Peterhouse is a constituent college of the University of Cambridge, England. It is the oldest college of the University, having been founded in 1284 by Hugo de Balsham, Bishop of Ely...
in 1974. His final degree was in History of Art & Architecture. Luke acquired cabinet-making skills in the 1970s while working with the harpsichord maker Michael Johnson (then based near Luke’s home in Donhead, Wiltshire) during school and university holidays.
Design Career
Hughes set up Bloomsbury Joinery, a small craft workshop in the back-yard of a house in Lamb’s Conduit Street, London, in 1978, before purchasing the freehold of a former banana warehouse in Stukeley Street, Covent Garden, in 1981 – a building which, in 2011, still houses part of his studio. He established Luke Hughes and Company in 1986, while producing design work and prototypes for Liberty & Co. and John Lewis Partnership
John Lewis Partnership
The John Lewis Partnership is an employee-owned UK partnership which operates John Lewis department stores, Waitrose supermarkets and a number of other services...
.
Hughes's design philosophy is heavily influenced by the principles of the Arts and Crafts Movement
Arts and Crafts movement
Arts and Crafts was an international design philosophy that originated in England and flourished between 1860 and 1910 , continuing its influence until the 1930s...
, not least about the nature of craftsmanship. Another central principle is that in any quality building, the connection between architecture and furniture should be seamless: most buildings cannot function without furniture, yet inappropriate pieces grossly undermine great architecture. Luke Hughes has written extensively about these issues. He is a regular writer for the architectural profession (mostly on timber and materials) and lectures internationally on sustainability.
Since 1990, he has focussed on design for public spaces, particularly in the educational, ecclesiastical, corporate and leisure sectors – usually for buildings with significant architectural interiors, historic or contemporary. His work is the subject of books, articles, awards and has been featured in exhibitions.
Significant Projects
- The Supreme Court of the United KingdomSupreme Court of the United KingdomThe Supreme Court of the United Kingdom is the supreme court in all matters under English law, Northern Ireland law and Scottish civil law. It is the court of last resort and highest appellate court in the United Kingdom; however the High Court of Justiciary remains the supreme court for criminal...
- The Supreme Courts of Scotland
- British Embassy, Moscow
- Theatre Royal, Bury St EdmundsTheatre Royal, Bury St EdmundsThe Theatre Royal is a restored Regency theatre in Bury St. Edmunds, Suffolk, England. One of eight grade 1 listed theatres in the UK, it is the only working theatre on the National Trust's portfolio of properties....
- St. George’s, Bloomsbury
- Foundress Court, Pembroke College, CambridgePembroke College, CambridgePembroke College is a constituent college of the University of Cambridge, England.The college has over seven hundred students and fellows, and is the third oldest college of the university. Physically, it is one of the university's larger colleges, with buildings from almost every century since its...
- St Hugh’s College, Oxford
- The Peninsula Hong KongThe Peninsula Hong KongThe Peninsula Hong Kong is one of the most internationally recognizable hotels in Hong Kong. Opened in 1928, it is Hong Kong's most historical hotel. It is located at the junction of Nathan Road and Salisbury Road in Tsim Sha Tsui, Hong Kong...
In 2010, he was shortlisted for a Walpole Award for British Luxury Design Talent . The award is given to an individual who has maintained the highest standard of British Design talent through innovation and design combined with British craftsmanship.
Contribution to the Design and Crafts Industry
He was a member of the Crafts Council
Crafts Council
The Crafts Council was established in the United Kingdom in 1971 as the national agency for crafts and was granted a Royal Charter in 1982. The Crafts Council’s vision is to position the UK as the global centre for the making, seeing and collecting of contemporary craft...
1991-97, Chairman of their Grants Committee 1994-7, Chairman of the Art Workers Guild
Art Workers Guild
The Art Workers Guild or Art-Workers' Guild is an organisation established in 1884 by a group of British architects associated with the ideas of William Morris and the Arts and Crafts movement. The guild promoted the 'unity of all the arts', denying the distinction between fine and applied art...
, and Honorary Designer for the Worshipful Company of Furniture Makers
Worshipful Company of Furniture Makers
The Worshipful Company of Furniture Makers is one of the Livery Companies of the City of London. The organisation was formed in 1951, and the City granted it Livery status in 1963. The Company generally promotes the trade by awarding scholarship to students of the craft.The Company ranks...
. He has been a member of the Fabric Advisory Committee for Southwark Cathedral
Southwark Cathedral
Southwark Cathedral or The Cathedral and Collegiate Church of St Saviour and St Mary Overie, Southwark, London, lies on the south bank of the River Thames close to London Bridge....
and was a judge for the Wood Awards
Wood Awards
The Wood Awards is one of the premier accolades for working with wood available in the UK. The award, which was created over thirty years ago and received its new name in 2003, is bestowed on winners of several categories within buildings and furniture...
(2006-9) and for the Koestler Trust
Koestler Trust
The Koestler Trust or award scheme,is a charity which helps prison inmates and detained psychiatric patients in the UK to express themselves creatively. The trust promotes the arts in special institutions, encouraging creativity and the acquisition of new skills as a means to rehabilitation...
(2010) which encourages art in prisons.
He is a Fellow of the Royal Society for the encouragement of Arts, Manufactures & Commerce and of the Royal Geographical Society
Royal Geographical Society
The Royal Geographical Society is a British learned society founded in 1830 for the advancement of geographical sciences...
. Since 1994, he has been a Freeman of the City of London, and, since 1996, a Liveryman of the Worshipful Company of Carpenters
Worshipful Company of Carpenters
The Worshipful Company of Carpenters is one of the Livery Companies of the City of London. The Carpenters were traditionally different from a fellow wood-crafting company, the Joiners' and Ceilers' Company, in that the Carpenters utilised nails while the Joiners used adhesives to attach wood.The...
, and, since 1995, a Liveryman of the Worshipful Company of Furniture Makers
Worshipful Company of Furniture Makers
The Worshipful Company of Furniture Makers is one of the Livery Companies of the City of London. The organisation was formed in 1951, and the City granted it Livery status in 1963. The Company generally promotes the trade by awarding scholarship to students of the craft.The Company ranks...
. He remains a member of the Art Workers Guild
Art Workers Guild
The Art Workers Guild or Art-Workers' Guild is an organisation established in 1884 by a group of British architects associated with the ideas of William Morris and the Arts and Crafts movement. The guild promoted the 'unity of all the arts', denying the distinction between fine and applied art...
(since 1986), the Alpine Club
Alpine Club
The first Alpine Club, founded in London in 1857, was once described as:Today, Alpine clubs stage climbing competitions, operate alpine huts and paths, and are active in protecting the Alpine environment...
and the Garrick Club
Garrick Club
The Garrick Club is a gentlemen's club in London.-History:The Garrick Club was founded at a meeting in the Committee Room at Theatre Royal, Drury Lane on Wednesday 17 August 1831...
(since 1990).
Mountaineering and other interests
As a mountaineer, he has scaled the North Face of the Eiger
Eiger
The Eiger is a mountain in the Bernese Alps in Switzerland. It is the easternmost peak of a ridge crest that extends across the Mönch to the Jungfrau at 4,158 m...
(September 1986), climbed within 100m of the summit of Everest (May 1988), and made expeditions to Greenland
Greenland
Greenland is an autonomous country within the Kingdom of Denmark, located between the Arctic and Atlantic Oceans, east of the Canadian Arctic Archipelago. Though physiographically a part of the continent of North America, Greenland has been politically and culturally associated with Europe for...
(July 1992). Over 25 years he made more than a dozen trips to the Himalayas to explore much of the unmapped, unexplored areas of central Tibet
Tibet
Tibet is a plateau region in Asia, north-east of the Himalayas. It is the traditional homeland of the Tibetan people as well as some other ethnic groups such as Monpas, Qiang, and Lhobas, and is now also inhabited by considerable numbers of Han and Hui people...
.
He spent his gap year before university, in 1975, serving as a midshipman with Blue Funnel Line
Blue Funnel Line
Alfred Holt and Company, marketed as the Blue Funnel Line, was founded by Alfred Holt on 16 January 1866.The main operating subsidiary was the Ocean Steam Ship Company, which owned and operated the majority of the company's vessels....
, during one of the final years before container ships took over from cargo-liners, working in the Far East. In the late 1970s, he was also a volunteer diver on the excavation of the Mary Rose
Mary Rose
The Mary Rose was a carrack-type warship of the English Tudor navy of King Henry VIII. After serving for 33 years in several wars against France, Scotland, and Brittany and after being substantially rebuilt in 1536, she saw her last action on 1545. While leading the attack on the galleys of a...
, the Tudor warship that sank in the Solent in 1545.
Books & Articles by Luke Hughes
- The Encyclopedia of Wood, Aidan Walker (ed.) – contribution from Luke Hughes, Quarto Publishing, 1989
- ‘Spoke-shaves, spanners and computers’, Independent, 22 Nov 1989 (text of lecture given by Luke Hughes)
- Artists’ reactions to the commissioning process, Contemporary Art in British Churches, Laura Moffatt & Eileen Daly (eds), Art & Christianity Enquiry, 2010
- ‘Mountains of the Gangdise or Transhimalaya of Tibet’, Luke Hughes and Julian Freeman-Atwood, Alpine Journal, 2003
Awards
- Architectural Review/Spectrum Award for Product Excellence 2001 & 2001
- FX Interior Design Award 2001 – Mandarin Hotel
- Wood Awards 2004 – Edinburgh Supreme Court Library (highly commended)
- Stone Awards 2006 (highly commended)
- Regional RIBA Award 2007 - Theatre Royal Bury St Edmund’s
- Chelmsford DAC Design Awards 2009 – St Alban’s Romford
Further reading
- The Supreme Court of the United Kingdom, Chris Meale (ed.), Merrell, 2010
- British Embassy in Moscow, Jeremy Melvin, FCO Publications
- Art Workers Guild: 125 years – Craftspeople at work today, Lara Platman, Unicorn Press, 2009
- Modern British Furniture, Lucia van der Post, Financial Times, 8 November 1986