Timothy Oulton, Founder and Creative Director of his eponymous brand, is a master at blending traditional craftsmanship and pioneering design.
他的故事要從兒童時代說起，那時他還在曼切斯特，并經常在爸爸的古董店里轉悠。在18歲后，他并沒有清晰的計劃，因此他與爸爸在一家家具工廠開始自己的職業生涯。他從沒意識到自己的事業會從這座城市開始生根發芽。
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.
而今，Timothy Oulton在世界各地已經有30多家店，遍布紐約、洛杉磯、墨西哥、中東、澳大利亞、加拿大、阿姆斯特丹、香港，甚至在倫敦的Harrods。品牌正有計劃的擴張中，并發展得更大更強。
Today, Timothy Oulton has over 30 stores in some of the world's best cities including New York, Los Angeles, Moscow, Saudi Arabia, Canada, Australia, Amsterdam, Hong Kong and in the grandeur of Harrods in London. The brand continues its careful expansion and plans for further openings in the future.
《深圳家具·設計》：請描述下你的設計風格。
Timothy：我的設計靈感來自過去與現代，產品保持新鮮并令人興奮，并富有獨立的個性，這就是我所謂的“謙卑的奢侈”風格。我們用真正的材料獨創出靈魂個性，為生活尋找出寬松的精致環境。
How would you describe your style?
We blend ideas from the past with a modern twist, to create something fresh and exciting, infused with our own point of view. It’s what I call humble luxury, we use authentic materials with character and soul, our pieces are meant to look lived in – a relaxed sophistication.
《深圳家具·設計》：你曾經和哪些設計師或房地產商合作?
Timothy:我們一直與非常有才華的設計師Michael Yeung緊密合作，他是我們設計團隊的成員之一并也設計自己的家具系列。我們也和法國設計師Frank LeFebvre合作。這還有許多有創造性的合作者和我們一起做想做的事情。去年，我們還改造了位于洛杉磯Athletic Club歷史性建筑Blue Room，現在我們正為新加波的合作者完成男士俱樂部項目。
Have you ever cooperated with any designer or real estate before?
We’ve been collaborating with a very talented designer called Michael Yeung for many years, Michael works as part of our design team as well as producing his own coveted collection. We also work with Frank LeFebvre of French design house Bleu Nature. There are many other creative collaborations we get involved in, people that have an affinity for what we’re doing. We redesigned the historic Blue Room at the Los Angeles Athletic Club last year, and we’re currently working on a gentlemen’s club in Singapore for a partner – we’re doing the whole thing, everything down to the locker rooms.
《深圳家具·設計》：你怎么運營不同地域的商店?
Timothy：我們的一些商店都是獨立的，如香港，有的特許店像倫敦的Harrods，我們也有合作零售商如澳大利亞，我們已經合作多年。Timothy Oulton應該是無國界的，我沒有制定非常苛刻的商店標準。我們總是想給你最好的體驗，這就是為什么我們提供香檳。我們希望每個人都享受于此，無論他們在哪里，無論他們訪問哪家商店。
How do you operate your stores in different areas, direct sales, deals or other?
Some of our stores are standalone, such as Hong Kong, others are concession stores like Harrods in London, and we also partner with retailers such as Coco Republic in Australia, who we’ve been working with for years. The experience of walking into a Timothy Oulton store should be consistent worldwide, I don’t differentiate in the standards I want for each store. We always want to give you the best experience we can give you, that’s why we offer champagne. We want people to have a great experience wherever they are, whichever store they visit.
《深圳家具·設計》：作為一個特別的品牌，有沒有嘗試做Timothy Oulton室內設計服務？
Timothy：我已經開始創建完整的空間項目，這也是我繼續要做的事情。我們已有一個設計團隊，并完成世界各地多個項目。其中包括英國Devon精品酒店Glazebrook House，我們已經完了全部地面裝修以及安裝。它看起來像是一個古老的英國莊園，但在室內是顛覆性的形象。整體感覺像是在19世紀愛麗絲仙境，一個充滿幻想的奇遇空間。
As a stunning and unique brand, do you have plans to offer a full interior design service - 'Whole Timothy Oulton House’?
We have started to create full spaces and it’s something I want to do more of. We have a great in-house architect and team of designers, and we’ve already completed several projects across the world. There’s a boutique hotel in Devon in England called Glazebrook House, we completed the full ground up renovation and installation. It looks like an old English manor house from the outside but inside it’s totally transformed. The atmosphere is 19th century collector’s house meets Alice in Wonderland; a fantasy where people can escape and have a unique experience.
《深圳家具·設計》：現在的家具有什么潮流趨勢？
Timothy：我們的設計并不是快餐式的家具，Timothy Oulton的每件家具都不受時代局限，這才是我想給予顧客的產品。一般而言，我希望家具與空間形成一體化，因為空間能將朋友和家庭聯系起來。家具不僅僅是家具，而是真實而富有故事性的關系培養器。好的沙發可以促進大家的話題。
What is the latest trends of Furniture?
Our designs aren’t about following the latest trends, we’re more interested in creating timeless pieces that we love, that we hope our customers will love too. In general though, I think interiors are becoming much more integral to the way people host at home, making the space a centre of connection with friends and family. It’s not just about furniture, it’s about having authentic, storied pieces that make your home an inspiring place to hang out. It could be a great sofa that everyone can spread out on or a really unique dining table; pieces that spark a conversation.
