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Timothy Oulton, Founder and Creative Director of his
eponymous brand, is a master at blending traditional
craftsmanship and pioneering design.
Tim’s story dates back to his childhood days in Manchester,
where he grew up surrounded by antiques from his father’s
business, Halo Antiques. After leaving school at 18 with no
clear plan, Tim embarked on a career in the furniture industry
at Halo antiques with his father. He had no intention of
remaining in the business and assumed he would eventually
go on to work in the city.
However, Tim soon found himself captivated by the exquisite
quality of the antiques that came from meticulous, time-
honoured handcraftsmanship and it is this inspiration that
would characterize Timothy Oulton’s collections, as he
explains; “exposure to the antiques industry at an early age
introduced me to beautiful design. Being surrounded by great
handcrafted products most of my life has definitely impacted
how I produce my furniture.”
Following five successful years of selling restored homeware
items in the US, Tim, along with his brother, expanded the
business into the UK, where they achieved sales of over £1
million in the first year.
That same year, Tim, who realized there was no long term
future in the antiques business, officially took the helm at Halo,
repositioning the company to focus on blending traditional
handcraftsmanship with a modern view point, thus ensuring
their relevance in the market.
Timothy Oulton’s pieces combine the best of traditional,
authenticity with daring amounts of innovation in design,
resulting in a product that is authentic and totally unique. “We
have a point of view. There is character and soul to what we
do. The materials we use, the link to heritage, the designs we
have – that combination is unique.”
As he explains, Timothy Oulton is “transported by flea markets,
I spend ages scouring markets in Britain and elsewhere,
looking for classic pieces and unique inspiration.”