Hand-made in a hurry

Some brands take centuries to find their footing. For Aelder Design, it happened in little over six months. Two years ago, William Floyd Maclean was working as a furniture maker for the Royal Opera House in Covent Garden, and Natasha Lawless was successfully running her own homeware business.The two had been friends for years. They’d both grown up in Stroud, in the west of England, and had always talked about combining their shared history growing up in the countryside and their talents into something more concrete. “We’d both grown eating off wooden plates, so it was something deeply personal for both of us to re-create those childhood memories,” explains Will.When Natasha was offered a space to exhibit at designjunction – an annual showcase of furniture, lighting and homeware – she saw it as the perfect springboard for the pair’s ambitions. “We never had a deadline, but now we had just three months,” says Natasha.Will moved into Natasha’s studio in Hackney, and they set about bringing their ideas to life. “We originally wanted to combine my skills in furniture and Tash’s in textiles, but due to time, we chose to keep it small,” says Will. So they honed in on their childhood memories of wooden plates and simple design and grew from there.The pair reached out to friends and local experts in wood, metal, and glass and combined their skills and materials to create something unique. “I love the cool quality of metal, but copper has such warmth, especially with wood,” says Natasha.The result is a collection of bowls, plates and glasses that speak for themselves. While simple in appearance, each one is a pure example of the quality of the materials and craftsmanship involved.Aelder Design may only be a few months old, but the materials, the techniques and the history behind it have been years in the making.