Inspired by the classic Windsor chair and the principles of the Arts and Crafts Movement but re-imagined for a modern lifestyle, the new Casey armchair is testament to simple, honest design and quality materials.

Ernest Gimson. Not a name as familiar as that of his contemporary William Morris, but no less influential in the Arts and Crafts Movement. Indeed, his designs received an accolade from the architect W. R. Lethaby that any designer, past or present, would surely welcome. Gimson’s furniture, wrote Lethaby, was ‘one kind of “perfect”, that is, it was useful and right, pleasantly shaped and finished, good enough but not too good for ordinary use’. In other words, everything that the Arts and Crafts Movement stood for. What’s more, Gimson lived what he preached. He took lessons in making traditional ladder-back chairs from a Gloucestershire chair bodger (and trained local Sapperton villagers to become craftsmen in the furniture workshop he established with his fellow designers the Barnsley brothers), he used regional woods whenever he could, and he incorporated exposed pins and dovetail joints into his pieces. All principles we’ve also considered when creating our solid oak, cushioned armchair, Casey.

Designed in our Wiltshire studio, the ergonomically elegant Casey takes the spindle design of the classic Windsor chair and re-imagines it for contemporary homes as a comfy, cushioned armchair. The armrests slope very gently upwards at a ‘just right’ gradient, while the back reclines gradually for a relaxed seating position. The feather- and foam-filled cushions are designed for comfort and support and are available in fabric or leather upholstery. Exposed fox tenon joints echo that honest and plain, crafted approach, while the softly tapered curve of the arm helps the chair feel lighter and more contemporary for today’s interiors. Over a century on from the Arts and Crafts Movement, it’s exciting to see modern British designs that honour the craftsmanship of the past while embracing the way we live now. The Casey offers the comfort of an upholstered armchair but, thanks to its exposed timber frame, enjoys a slimmer footprint, leaving more room for an inviting, generous seat. Crafted, practical, comfortable and timeless, just the way Gimson, Morris et al intended us to live