The Collection
Inspiration for Starting The Line
This collection has been a long time in the making. The idea of a line started and stayed in my head for a good couple of years while I focused on building the custom side of Timber & Tulip. The idea was always sitting there, dancing around in my imagination, just waiting to be acted upon. If you asked my husband how many times I said “I should create a line of furniture,” he would probably roll his eyes and say something sarcastic implying too many times to count. Let’s just say I brought it up a lot… like a lot a lot.
At the beginning of 2020, I decided that this year was going to be different. I am a member of a local organization called BWC (“Business Women’s’ Circle”), which is a group of like-minded women that get together to talk business, leadership and life. At our first circle meeting in 2020, we had to pick a word for the year – something that captivated our focus, dedication and purpose for our year ahead. I chose the word FORWARD.
FORWARD. This word was very powerful in my mind. It gave me focus and it gave me a strategy. Whenever I was feeling stuck, unsure of what to do next, I would ask myself ‘what is one thing that I can do right now that will move me FORWARD’ – something that will move me one step closer to that furniture line. Well let’s just say that those individual tasks eventually turned into pen-to-computer-digital-renderings, which transformed into real life prototypes and guess what, here I am with a full blown collection that is about to launch. Wow… it worked.
I believe that the designs in this first collection are an accurate representation of my aesthetic vision as a designer and artist, which was my biggest fear as part of this creative process. What if the finished pieces aren’t the shining, beautiful ideas that were floating around in my head? What if I create pieces that no one wants to buy? I think this is a fear that every artist faces at some point and is a fear that needs to be worked through and eventually conquered. Do I love the finished pieces in the collection? I 100% do. Will everyone else? Time will tell.
If I had to describe the line, I would describe it as organic modern with mid-century style influences. What does that mean exactly? Some key elements found in the style include:
Simplicity: Clean lines and simple designs, which are key traits of the furniture designed in the post-war era. Sleek aesthetic without any fussy ornamentation.
Superb craftsmanship. As was similar with mid-century designs, I believe that the quality of the pieces we produce is EVERYTHING. They are built to stand the test of time.
Wood with natural finishes. The finishes used on each of the designs were very purposefully selected to (1) showcase the natural beauty and (2) extend the life of the furniture. Each piece is built with premium wood material that is meant to shine and so it is critical that the premium finishes that we use do just that.
Combining natural and manmade materials. The designs are a purposeful exploration of combining different traditional and non-traditional materials, as well as the juxtaposition of different, and sometimes contrasting materials. The Bradshaw and Seville tables are prime examples with the wood and brass.
It has been a labor of love but one that I am proud to finally share with the world. Here’s to moving forward and facing whatever comes next.
-Brianne
Shop the new collection HERE!