HOMELIFE Magazine | Page 47

MIGHTY OAK

T here ’ s nothing like the bustle of a big family dinner with your children and your friends and their kids squeezed around a table sharing food ,” says Lisa Coppin , Creative Director at Cotswold Company . “ I wanted to create a range of furniture that made that possible .”

Elkstone Oak was the first product range she worked on after joining the Cotswold Company , and it has a special place in her heart . “ I have a big family . Including a bench in the range that children can cram onto , or making sure the table had pedestal legs so you can fit more people around it – those design specifications were very personal ,” she explains .
Well-made , cleverly designed wooden furniture created for every stage of family life is a hallmark of the Cotswold Company and , launched in autumn of last year , this range is no different . At once elegant and contemporary , it ’ s designed to last a lifetime . It has a solid oak framework and is crafted using traditional techniques , such as mortise and tenon joints .
“ It ’ s the kind of furniture that after a few years looks like it ’ s been in your home forever . It develops a patina over time – being scuffed or accidentally drawn on by your kids is all part of that process ,” says Lisa .
FAMILY HEIRLOOMS IN THE MAKING “ This is the kind of range that you ’ d pass on to your children or grandchildren ,” continues Lisa . The kind of cabinet that ’ s as good for storage – it has two doors so they are wider rather than the traditional three – as it is for hide and seek . It ’ s the sort of table that you can turn into a den all day and then host a dinner party around all evening .
“ The idea was to give oak furniture a new lease of life ,” says Lisa . “ Classic oak furniture is very rustic and can be chunky . We wanted to bring it back in a contemporary way . We wanted to create something with a modern country feel . The table would fit as well into a loft as into a cottage in the Cotswolds . It ’ s the kind of furniture that would look good paired with Scandi-style furniture as well as vintage finds .”
The Cotswold Company briefed furniture designer Owen Martin to capture the antique feel of farmhouse furniture , but in an elegant and contemporary way – sturdy but not clunky . →
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Elkstone Oak Pedestal Dining Table 1057.004 £ 625 | Elkstone Oak Dining Bench 1057.005 £ 335 | Elkstone Oak Spindleback Dining Chair , sold as a pair 1056.008 £ 125 each | Cotton Velvet Cushion , ochre 926.161 £ 30 | Windowpane Beige Lambswool Throw 959.004 £ 95
cotswoldco . com