From a thatched farmhouse on the edge of Dartmoor, husband and wife Jeremy and Cath Brown design ‘objects for life’ as Feldspar. Having grown tired of London and their previous careers (Cath in architectural design; Jeremy building sustainable supply chains for the UN worldwide), the pair and their young son upped sticks from Hackney and set off for the misty isolation of the Devon moorlands to live their lives in fresh air and open space. With the freedom to explore their creativity to their own schedule, and faced with the need to furnish and fill their new home, the pair embarked upon a gradual process of material experimentation, teaching themselves new skills in order to make their own cups, plates, furniture and other household essentials. Somewhere along the way, they realised they’d created a new design brand. Named Feldspar after the abundant mineral found in granite that gives ceramics and glass strength, the studio now produces fine bone china tableware, superfine lambswool blankets and an all-natural home fragrance range – all designed and prototyped in Feldspar’s cobbled workshop and handmade by a network of highly skilled craftspeople around the UK. Characterised by a timeless, trend-agnostic aesthetic and a strong emphasis on everyday use and longevity, their products are crafted from sustainable, natural materials sourced as locally as possible (their latest venture involves a type of china clay dug up from the fields surrounding the studio). Feldspar products are available in retail stores such as Fortnum & Mason, Mint, TwentyTwentyOne, the V&A and Soho Farmhouse, as well as online at Feldspar Studio.
Although there’s no denying we found Jeremy and Cath’s ‘escape to the country’ story pretty inspiring, it’s their beautiful products and no-compromise philosophy that turned us into Feldspar evangelists. We’re delighted to support their studio’s publicity outreach as they expand their collections, explore new materials, and continue Feldspar’s rise from kitchen-table design enterprise to major international lifestyle brand.
Ahead of London Design Fair, we talk to Feldspar’s Jeremy Brown about Feldspar’s limited-edition collection made from clay from the duo’s Devon garden.
Feldspar, the dreamy Dartmoor-based design brand, take on the teapot.
Watch the process behind Feldspar’s slip-cast china tableware during a live demo at The Conran Shop.
Cath Brown discusses the material-led approach that drives Dartmoor-based design brand Feldspar.
A selection of UK-based creatives that featured on Zetteler’s News and Ideas pages this year.
'We don’t want to make things just for the sake of it; everything needs to have a purpose and be built to last a lifetime’ – co-founder Cath lays down the Feldspar philosophy.