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London taxi cab (top image)
Kenneth Grange
I really love the design of the taxi because they are so synonymous with London. If you have been travelling abroad somewhere and then get into a black taxi cab, there is something very reassuring about it. I also like the design, that sort of classic retro-looking car. Whenever changes have been made over the years, very drastic design changes, there has always been a big backlash and the car always returns to that very classic shape. I use taxis all the time – more than I should do. It is simply my favourite mode of transport. (top image)
Letterpress stamp
I had this stamp made with my Lee Broom logo of a crown and broom when I did my Heritage Boy collection and we’ve used it every year since. We use the stamps on stickers and put them on all the boxes for our products. It also looks like a really nice industrial piece of equipment. When we give people brochures, they really like it because we stamp them which creates a personal touch, like the equivalent of a wax seal.
Heritage Boy
Carpetry Sideboard
This is a favourite piece from my collections. I was slightly obsessed with Persian rugs and the relationship that the West has with them; they were used in stately homes and palaces for centuries. So I decided to create a homage to this and designed a carpet that from a distance appears very Persian, but on closer inspection has very British details woven in. I used traditional British manufacturing techniques for this collection and produced the carpet on a Wilton loom.
Bubblewrap
It’s a brilliant piece of design in itself – both retro and functional – and it enables us to deliver products all over the world. It sounds like a very simple item, but the fact is we wouldn’t be able to sell globally without it. I challenge anyone who picks up a sheet not to instantly burst its bubbles. It’s compulsive.
Tape measure
I always carry a tape measure, whether I am working or not. When I go to a venue I like or if I’m looking at a piece of material, I whip my tape measure out and take down the measurements. I make sure my team have a tape measure on them at all times, but they’re always going missing; we must have gone through hundreds. I have sometimes used laser tape measures but they just don’t work for me. I prefer the classic, retro version.
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