Tom Vaughan

Bold digital craftsmanship

• A designer and a maker, Tom is the founder of Object Studio
• He makes sculptures, furniture and installations
• Complex three-dimensional forms are his signature pieces

Tom Vaughan was trained both in cabinetmaking and in product design at the Royal College of Art, where he is now also a lecturer. In 2011 he founded his East London workshop, Object Studio, with a small team of highly skilled craftspeople. Their extensive experience and capabilities mean they work with a wide range of materials to craft high-end bespoke furniture, sculptures and installations. All of the creations are entirely designed and crafted in-house, and reflect the dual nature of founder Tom, at once craftsman and designer. Most of the pieces made at Object Studio are site-specific, one-off designs or short limited editions commissioned by private collectors, interior design firms, galleries and institutions around the world.

Interview

©SAM BARKER

©Tom Vaughan

As a designer and maker, what is the core of your practice?

I’m trying to produce work that is beautiful to look at but more importantly being furniture, tactile and pleasing to touch and interact with. For me, the feel of the piece and how you interact with the piece is often more important that the look of the piece.

You work with a variety of materials, how do you choose them?

I select materials that are not only beautiful but are tactile and also durable, and very importantly materials that mature and grow in character with age and use. I want materials that embrace wear and aging. I use Oak and bronze a lot for these reasons.

Your practice combines design and craft: how is your working process?

I am obsessed with the process. Mastering and combining both traditional and modern processes, and pushing the capabilities of what can be achieved with them together has been at the core of the last 15 years of my work. I developed my own modern digital craft techniques.

What is the role of digital in your practice?

My design process is still very hands on. I start with physical models, and these maquettes are then 3D scanned into the computer where the CAD model is further developed. Computer tools are best used once you have already mastered the traditional techniques and have a good understanding of materials.

Tom Vaughan is an expert artisan he began his career in 2003

Works

©SAM BARKER

©SAM BARKER

©SAM BARKER

©SAM BARKER

©SAM BARKER

Where