Take a Seat with Tim Rundle

The designer’s vision is clearly translated in Rakino – with its soft shell resting almost weightlessly within a clean, architectural frame of flowing joints, elements which are carefully connected through intricate CNC machinery work and hand finishing techniques. 

“The finished piece was a frame that looked entirely handmade, but represented a perfect balance of machining and hand finishing, it’s an incredibly effective use of knowledge and skill… had a piece like Rakino been created entirely by hand, it just wouldn’t have been cost effective”.

And while there is a certain romance in the idea of ‘hand craft’, Tim is sharply aware of the restrictions of contract furniture design “There has to be a production efficiency and cost effectiveness due to the nature of the contract industry. Furniture is created in volume and has to go through a lot of testing to ensure durability, stability and be hard wearing.”

Hardwearing, durable and stable as it might be, there is a quiet elegance to Rakino’s design language that allows each piece in the collection to sit comfortably in commercial and hospitality environments, as well as domestic landscapes. “Every piece I design should fit into a home or a commercial space. When I design furniture, I never think of it as something in isolation, in my head it always sits in a particular kind of place rather than a white room… It is something that completes an architectural space. For me, furniture is how we interact with architecture, a connection between humans and buildings.” 

But as an industrial designer, Tim’s interest in furniture goes beyond the aesthetic, his visits to our factory during prototype production fuelled by a passion for process  “Manufacturing excites me. Understanding how things are made, the materials, the production techniques, watching machines creating shapes, watching components being assembled, ideas come together.” His fascination is clear, “being in industrial environments, seeing naked frames, there is so much beauty in it.” This fascination and beauty were clearly captured in Rakinos’s new pieces, as he worked with our Morgan Studio and factory teams to update the collection.

“The timber back model has a carver chair typology, it felt like a natural evolution of Rakino’s design language and frame, it allowed us to celebrate the details of the timber in a different way to the upholstered dining chair – In a way it is the purest version in the collection.”

With a design language of subtle blended junctions and elegant profiles, Rakino’s evolution developed seamlessly to include a new timber-back dining chair and two new dining table options, bringing more flexibility to the collection to meet the contract industry’s ever evolving demands  “There has been a huge shift in the industry, a change in how people experience commercial spaces, places like hotel lobbies aren’t just waiting spaces any more, they are informal living spaces… there’s a need for things need to feel softer.”

Tim’s excitement for manufacturing is also matched by our communal ‘fixation with comfort’. “We go through numerous prototypes, shifting things by millimetres here and there until we reach what we think is the right shape. The process with Morgan is so quick, because of their manufacturing in-house, we could make a change, go for lunch and then come back and the new version is there, ready in the factory.” As Morgan’s Creative Consultant, this connection to our brand, our beliefs and way of doing things allows us to create a relationship of trust that translates beyond single collections “We know each other really well, there is trust and I feel relaxed.” His role allows us to learn not only from his expertise, but also his experiences outside our industry bubble. 

“The creative consultancy role with Morgan allows me to stand outside in a way and bring in a broader perspective. I formulate briefs, work on strategy, oversee other external designers’ work, plan shoots, brief photographers… It’s great, we’ve worked together for a long time. As a company they are really passionate about what they do and you can feel that everyone that works there shares that passion.”

His passion for the industrial and engineering side of things and our flexibility to provide in-house manufacturing have allowed us to create elegant collections together, including Bilbao as well as Rakino “I like the closeness to manufacturing, having the visibility to understand the issues, the challenges, being able to take a piece right through to production.”

Moving to New Zealand has allowed Tim to take a step back, in ways that have enabled him to move forwards. “Being in New Zealand there isn’t the constant bombardment of the new, leading to design fatigue. I have a clearer head space to step back and absorb inspiration more mindfully, I can filter things, ask myself, do I really like that? Creatively I feel more productive, I am able to be inspired by other industries, but also influenced by Nature, out here I feel like there is a simpler, calmer, more honest aesthetic.”  

Despite the move to the other side of the world, our collaborative relationship with Tim grows stronger, following the launch of the new Rakino pieces, there are already new projects in the pipeline “Morgan’s skill and craft, sustainability values and use of technology enable a manufacturing process that champions responsibility, they truly are a circular economy company. As an industrial designer, I design for disassembly and for repair… These are industrial design principles that I share with Morgan, knowing that the furniture we create is done the right way, being able to be repaired and live on.” 

The new additions are now on display at our Clerkenwell showroom. If you’re planning a new project or seeking inspiration, our design-led sales team is here to help. Get in touch today to book a showroom appointment and see the the new pieces.