Meet the man using antique inspiration to create modern classics made by artisan craftsmen

Dixon realised there was a gap in the market for new beautifully crafted furniture with tradition at its core.

"Part to of an antique’s charm is that they are one-off items but when you are working commercial designers they are sometimes a tricky thing to use as they may not be the right size and there is only likely to be one of them.”

During his career he developed a number of close relationships with talented modern day craftspeople inspired by tradition which led to the creation of FORM by Tallboy. He works closely with a roster of master craftsmen to create his own designs for FORM, as well as bespoke, specially commissioned pieces.

"Through working with antiques and restoring them I had built up a network of craftsmen, some in Yorkshire and some in other parts of the country,” he explains.

"I have an amazing upholsterer in Nottingham. The owner said they can now make frames and that was the start FORM. Then we have a restorer and French Polisher by trade also has training and cabinet and furniture making. He’s based just outside of York and he makes all our mirrors. He’s all about tradition. He uses the best sustainable materials everything is done by hand by him and his small team.

"Then there is Yorkshire based a blacksmith Sam who makes our Brokkr Martini Table from forged steel.

“Sam is such a talent and I plan to do more work with him. Every detail is beaten and shaped by hand from the patina on the table to the tools used to create the piece. The tools were made specifically for this design making it truly unique – it might look a relatively simple table but every element is quite involved.

“It just made sense that we use these amazing craftsmen to create new pieces that are sustainable and hopefully last a lot longer than some modern pieces. They have all the benefits of the antiques but the modern ability to be crafted to suit anyone’s purpose.”

Dixon, who designs all the furniture himself, decided not to go to university after leaving school, instead he wanted to have his own business.

"I’ve always been obsessed with interior design and making things beautiful a so I did a six month Open University Interior Design course. From that I started dabbling in buying and selling - at York Car Boot of all places. And from there I could tell there was a market for the collectable side of antiques which I did for a couple of years from the age of 18.”

He then realised that collectables side of antiques wasn’t quite as strong as the market for antique furniture.

"I started to look at antiques being used in interior design and found how great they were for green sustainability and recycling. In 2015 I Iaunched TallBall Interiors in Malton and built up the business from scratch.” Dixon says the demand for antique furniture is much higher than it ever has been. “This is partly due to the sustainability and uniqueness but also often the price point is affordable for the quality of workmanship you get.”

Dixon admits he has no formal furniture design training, but says he has a good eye and comes up with designs inspired from the antiques he sells and brought to life by his craftsmen.

"I spend quite a lot of time in France buying antiques which are different in style to antique in the UK," he explains. "My designs are inspired by antiques that we’ve either had and we’ve added a modern twist or they are a design I think is a popular demand a size and comfort. We also have a bespoke service where designers or individuals can come to us with a really tricky space or they just can’t find what they want on the internet and tell us what they need and then I will sit down with the craftsmen and come up with a design to suit their needs.”

Dixon believes that people are prepared to pay a premium for something they know is well made, British and will last.

"I think people are sick of paying for cheap furniture which won’t last something that either falls a part or when they come to change it it has to go in the bin which has far more environmental impact than antiques or the furniture we are aiming to produce.

"Antiques hold their value and that is the aim of the furniture we manufacture at FORM. It so well made that it seems daft throw them away, but we know tastes and trends a chance and so we’d rather they came back to us and we can look to restore it in some way, either by reupholstering or rejuvinating it and it’s worth doing because the frame is so well made – like an antique.”

Dixon has just unveiled FORM’S first collection of furniture and accessories – he aims to bring out a new small range twice a year. The range is made up of timeless pieces including furniture, lighting, rugs and accessories with everything, other than the lighting which is made by craftsmen in Venice, being made in the UK. The range includes two sofas. The Jaipur Sofa was inspired by an original Anglo-Indian sofa Dixon discovered on his travels in Europe.

“I wanted to make a show stopping piece that encapsulated design with practicality,” he says. “The antique sofa we found in France was very small and so we’ve adapted that.

“The low sprung seat allows for relaxed lounging or entertaining guests and the large size means 4-5 people can sit on the sofa comfortably.” The piece has been made by hand from high quality and sustainably sourced natural materials including a solid beech frame and legs with hand tied springs.

The second sofa is the Conrad which has removable and washable covers, designed to suit a variety of interiors. There is also Conrad chair. Plans for a third sofa are under way.

The bespoke hand turned wood and lacquered side tables come in two different styles - the Glen and the Loch. The pieces were inspired by Dixon’s time in Scotland when his first passion, photography, led him to explore the rugged landscape, often softened with still lochs or vast glens. Dixion has worked closely with a specialist workshop in Venice to design and handcraft five pendant lights.

FORM’s showroom is based out of a converted chapel in Malton.

“We moved in to the chapel on March 1, 2020 after quite a lot of investment and then within three weeks the first Covid lockdown happened. We were still able to operate through our website but we’d love to get more people to come and look round the showroom.”

Most of Dixon’s customers are southern based interior designers and he is keen to get more customers from the norther of England, He also has a growing customer based in America.

formbytallboy.co.uk