Trannon
DAVID COLWELL lives and works at Trannon's design studios in Powys, Wales. He trained in Furniture Design at the Royal College of Art, where his first Perspex Chair was purchased by the V&A Museum Collection. He then ran his own design practice where he was retained by ICI and J Walter Thompson. His designs are timeless and his passion is to create furniture that addresses real issues for the future.
ROY TAM lives in Sherborne, Dorset, and is a member of Sherborne Contemporary Arts. He trained in Industrial Design at the Royal College of Art and previously obtained a degree in medical electronics at Salford. While working for Cambridge Consultants, he was elected to be a member of the Design Council selection panel and received the Braun International Prize for Industrial Design. Roy's aim is to work alongside you to deliver the optimum design solution.
Date of Birth:
Associations: RTD
Awards:
Silver Medal & 3D Design Award, Royal College of Art
Public Seating Award, Sit 94: National Museum of Wales (Museum of the Year 1995)
FX Green Seating Award: C3 Stacking Chair
4 Guild Mark, Worshipful Company of Furniture Makers: C1 Upholstered Recliner and Footstool, C3 Stacking Chair, Ash Round Tables, T2 Extending Table.
Commissions:
Barfil Organic Farm, Dumfries: Cardiff Conference Tables, C5 Conference Chairs
Bede's World Mediaeval Museum: C3 & C5 Stackable Chair, C6 Captain's Chair, Round & Solo Tables
Birmingham Museums and Art Gallery: Reception Bench & Gallery Bench, Meeting Table, Sideboard
Blake Head Vegetarian Restaurant, York: C3 Stacking Chair, Ash Round Cafe Table
Bland Bankart plc, Leicester: Bespoke 12 seat Conference Table and Credenza
Cadw, Conwy Castle Gatehouse: C6 Captain's Chairs & Cardiff Conference Table
Castledene Day Centre, Salisbury: C9 Leighton Chair, Ash Round Tables
Castle Museum, Nottingham: Clover Centre Bench lottery public seating, Cardiff Long Bench, C9 Leighton Chairs
Clarks Shoes: C2 Director's Chair, Polo Round Table
Crafts Council, London: C3 Stacking Chair & Coppice Cafe Glass Table
Create Eco-Centre, Bristol: C3 Stacking Chairs & Round Tables
CSK Architects, Eton: C2 Director's Chairs & Splittable Round Meeting Table
Darlington Civic Theatre: C3 Stacking Chairs
Dillington House Theatre, Somerset: C5 Somerset Chairs, Linking Conference Table & Conference Tables
De Montfort University Committee Room, Leicester: C5 Somerset Chairs & Conference Tables
Dartmoor National Park: C5 Conference Chairs
Exmoor National Park: C5 Somerset Chairs & Fold-flat Conference Desks
Gladstone Pottery Museum: Link Benches
Greenacres Day Centre, NHS Trust: C9 Leighton Chairs & Cardiff Table
Greenergy Low Pollutant Fuels: C6 Captain's Chairs, Round Ball Coffee Tables
Greenwood Trust: C3 Stacking Chairs
Guinness plc: C6 Captain's Chairs, Cardiff Conference Tables & Side Tables, Cardiff Sideboards
Harbour Museum, Londonderry, Ireland: C3 Stacking Chair & Round Table
Imperial War Museum, London: C2 Director's Chairs
Jane Darbyshire Kendal Architects, Newcastle: Solo Conference Table, C6 Captain's Chair
Leighton House Museum: Leighton Chairs lottery public seating
Manchester Science Park: C3, C5 & C6 Stackable Chair, Round Cafe Table, Cardiff Tables & Reception Desk
Milbank Floors: Cardiff Meeting Tables, C3 Stacking Chairs, Cardiff Reception Bench and Low Table
National Museum of Wales: Cardiff Bench and Four Seat Square Bench (Sit 94 Public Seating Award)
National Trust, Lyme Park: C3 Stacking Chair & Stackable Square Table
New Hall Hospital: C5 Stacking Chairs and Dining Tables
Newtown Library: C3 Stacking Chair & T54 Ash Round Table
Orpheus Centre, Richard Stilgoe's College for Disabled Musicians, Surrey: Steam Bent Semi-circular Oak Bench
Royal Fine Art Commission for Scotland: C2 Director's Chair
Science Museum, Birmingham: C3 Stacking Chair & Round Table
The Scottish Parliament, Edinburgh: Major Reception Desk commission
Winchester Theatre Royal: C3 Stacking Chair, Linkable Cafe Table
Wolverhampton Art Gallery: C3 Stacking Chair, Reception Sofa Settee, Armchair & Low Table
Wolverhampton Grand Theatre: Reception Sofa Settee and Armchair
Wimbledon Lawn Tennis Museum, London: C3 Stacking Chair
Education: DAVID COLWELL- Master of Design, Furniture Design at the Royal College of Art
Group Exhibitions: 'Table Wares', Beatrice Royal Gallery, Eastleigh 2002
'100% Design' Earls Court and Duke of York's Headquarters, Chelsea 1995, 96, 97, 99, 2000, 2001, 2002, 2003
'World Summit', British Trade Stand at the Johannesburg World Summit, 2002
'Artisan' Edinburgh Festival 1997, 98, 2002
'Take a Seat', Grace Barrand Design Studios, Surrey 2002
'Summerhouse', Black Swan Gallery, Frome 2002
'In Praise or Trees' with English Nature at the National Trust's Mompesson House, Salisbury Festival 2002
Hampshire Wood Fair, Sparsholt College, Winchester, Salisbury Festival 2002
'Wood x 10', Edinburgh 2002
'Ergonomic Chairs', Science Museum Touring Exhibition, London 1999, Manchester 2000, Portugal 2002
Rufford Gallery, Nottingham 2001-2
Brewery Arts, Cirencester 2001-2
Highcliffe Castle, Dorset 2001-2
'Chelsea Crafts Fair' London 1990, 92, 94, 95, 96, 97, 98, 99, 2001
'Designer's Block' London 2001
'Burghley Horse Trials', Stamford 2000, 2001
'RHS Tatton Park' with Country Living Magazine 2000, 01
'RHS Hampton Court' 2001
'MODE' Contemporary Home Show, London 1999, 2000, 2001
'Green Design', with Jim Partridge and the Azumis, Bledffa Gallery, Wales 2001
'Spectrum' Commonwealth Institute and Royal College of Art, London 1994, 95, 96, 2001
'Furniture Awakened', Walford Mill, Dorset 2001
'Wind & Wave', Beatrice Royal Gallery, Eastleigh 2000
'Eco House', Brampton, Cumbria 2000
'Guild Mark Exhibition', Pallant House Gallery, 2000
'Country Living Spring Fair', London 1994, 95, 96, 98, 99, 2000
'Art In Action', Oxford 1998, 99, 2003
'BBC Good Homes', Birmingham 1998, 99, 2000
'Guild Mark Exhibition', Phillips Auctioneers, London 1998
'House & Garden Magazine Fair', Olympia 1997, 98, 2002-04
'A Celebration of Craftsmanship' Betty Norbury, Cheltenham 1995, 96, 99
'Midsummer Arts Show' Milton Keynes Craft Guild 1995, 98, 99
'International Contemporary Furniture Fair', New York, USA 1995
'Decorative Arts Today', Bonhams, Knightsbridge, London 1992, 93, 94, 95, 96
'Greenwood', Contemporary Applied Arts, Covent Garden, London 95
'Conservation by Design', RISD Museum of Modern Art, Rhode Island, USA 1994
'Chairs, Walford Mill, Dorset Craft Guild, 1992
'Christmas Show', Oriel Moystn, Llandudnuo, Wales 1992
'Scottish Gallery', Glasgow 1992
'Living Room', Oxford Gallery, Oxford 1992
'Having Made It', Oriel Gallery, Cardiff 1992
'IDI 92', Interior Design International, Earl's Court, London 1992
'Furniture by 15 Makers', Ferrers Gallery, Ashby-de-la-Zouch 1992
'Exempla 92', representing Great Britain at the Munich Craft Fair, Germany 1992
'Chair Gallery', The Design Museum, London 1992
'Beyond The Dovetail', The Crafts Council, London 1991-92
'Furniture and Rugs', Contemporary Applied Arts, Covent Garden, London 1990
'In the First Place', Aberystwyth Arts Centre, Aberystwyth 1990
'Furniture Focus', Northern Centre for Contemporary Art, Sunderland 1988
'Recent Work', The Craft Centre and Design Gallery, Leeds 1983
'Recent Work', Prescote Gallery, Banbury (solo) 1983
'The Maker's Eye', The Crafts Council, London 1982
'The Wood Exhibition', Northern Arts 1981
'Prescote in London', Warwick Arts Trust, London 1981
'Furniture Projects', Crafts Council, London 1980
'Crafts Council 80', London 1980
'Furniture Makers', Prescote Gallery, Banbury 1978-84
'Chairs', Victoria and Albert Museum, London 1971
'Whitechapel Chairs 70', London 1970
'Perspex 67', Royal College of Art, London 1967
Collections:
Victoria and Albert Museum, London: C1 Recliner & Footstool, C3 Stacking Chair, The Perspex Chair
Victor Papanek's private collection: C2 Director's Chair
Crafts Council Collection: C3 Stacking Chairs
John Makepeace OBE private collection: C1 Rattan Recliner & Footstool
Temple Newsem House, Leeds City Museum: C1 Rattan Recliner & Footstool
Design Centre Index, London: C1 Reclining Chair, C2 Director's Chair, C3 Stacking Chair
The Science Museum, London: C3 Stacking Chair
Solo Exhibitions: 'Solo' show at Artifex Gallery 2002
Travel: Nationally, Yes Internationally, Yes
Press Quotes: Architect's Journal, AXIS (Japan), BBC Good Homes, BBC Homes & Antiques, Blueprint, Country Living, Craft, Design, Design Week, Elle Decoration, Financial Times 'How To Spend It', Fine Woodworking (USA), FX, GQ, The Guardian, idFX, The Independent, Inspirations, Interior Designer, Kitshen Bedrooms and Bathrooms, Living etc, Mail On Sunday, Perspectives in Architecture, Homes & Gardens, House & Garden, The Right Angle, Theme, The Times, The Telegraph, World of Interiors, Kaleidoscope Special on BBC Radio 4, BBC TV Wales.
Maker's Statement:
Founded by David Colwell, Trannon specialises in batch-producing steam-bent furniture which is visually stimulating, utterly practical and excellent value for money. Made from fast growing English ash, stronger than mature oak, Trannon's chairs are renowned for their strength and legendary healthy support for the lumbar region.
With over 20 years of impeccable ecological integrity, David Colwell is one of the pioneers of sustainable design and clean production. Not only does steam-bending create elegant ergonomic curves, its also seasons the timber quickly and uses a fraction of the energy of conventional methods. Green ash second thinnings from our local woodlands are used for raw material, with substantially greater benefits in all aspects than just using replanted mature timber.
We believe that a successful furniture business can also return benefits to rural employment and create important mid-term income for future forest management. To illustrate our continued ecological commitments, our C3 Stacking Chair is in the Green Design showcase of the Victoria & Albert Museum as well as in the Challenge of Materials showcase at the Science Museum. For our quality of workmanship, we were awarded 4 Guild Mark by the Worshipful Company of Furniture Makers.
Commissioning Procedure
Trannon has been pioneering new ways of using unseasoned thinnings (sourced from local woodlands to minimise transport), specialising in steam-bending which curves and seasons the timber simultaneously.
Not only are these bends stronger than the common laminations, this thinking also eliminates the need for kiln-drying and provides early forestry income for management into the future. For this thinking, they received the FX Green Seating award.
Not only did it break new grounds in its user friendly features, it also uses coppiced ash exclusively for its frame. Coppicing is a method of forestry in which the trees are "pruned" for wood and wildlife habit remains undisturbed. With its roots intact, coppice grows vigorously and gives a high yield. But due to its small dimensions and awkward properties, it has not been popular.
Trannon revolutionises this thinking by developing new methods of using coppiced ash in the round and before seasoning. This demonstrates that ash too small for firewood can be turned into valuable furniture.
Pricing Policy
Prices include VAT.
A 30% deposit is request at time of order.
Delivery is around 8 weeks.
£365-£600 Chairs
£1100-£2500 Dining Tables
VAT Registered: Yes
