Higher Market Studio is a bespoke furniture design company that specialises in customising and re-facing 1960s and 70s furniture in a unique way with the considered use of laser cut Formica.

 

 

My work has always focussed on recycling and reinventing forms. Initially this was product based but I wanted to move more in the direction of commission-based work and the Repeat and Variation competition, run by Hidden Art Cornwall in 2006, really helped me to achieve this.

 

I had a week of help from the Research Cluster at Falmouth and it was amazing to have an expert on hand to guide me. The design process can be really frustrating but this project enabled me to concentrate on one idea and see it through to the end. My new work was a big success at the Hidden Art Cornwall Design Fair in 2006 and the business took off from there.

 

 

I was really encouraged to experiment with the laser cutter and was taught how to use the software that went with the digital equipment. I hadn’t really used Illustrator before and the training enabled me to feel confident about using it and putting it into practice.

 

 

I’ve been lucky to get lots of press coverage so orders are coming in for commissioned pieces. A kitchen designer also saw my work at the Design Fair last year and I have been working collaboratively with him, laser cutting Formica for kitchen doors. This is another bespoke service, with a choice of colours and patterns, and the kitchens will be made to order.