PINCH and the art of sophisticated simplicity
Founded by husband and wife duo of Russell Pinch and Oona Bannon in 2004, PINCH has a simple aim: ‘We design furniture we would like to live with,’ says Bannon.
‘We have uncompromising standards in terms of materiality and expert making. It was always personal business, but we have always had high expectations, not only in terms of product, design and making but also in the experience that customers have of working and buying from us.’
Now celebrating their 15th year, PINCH have recently opened a new, larger store at 200 Ebury Road in the heart of Belgravia’s burgeoning Pimlico Road district in London: something of a statement of intent. ‘It means we can pretty much show our full collection now,’ says Bannon. For her, it’s important that customers get to experience not just the look but the feel of their products. ‘In 2D it’s hard to get a sense of the actual construction, the solidity,’ she says. ‘The design is light, beautifully refined and elegant – it comes into its own when you see it for yourself.’
PINCH adopt what they call a ‘concrete to country’ approach – simple, elegant designs that are equally at home in urban or rural settings. ‘Space is the most important luxury we have,’ says Bannon. ‘So we focus on the longevity of materials, but it must also have a contemporary relevance. We apply an architectural rigour to our designs, taking away anything extraneous… It’s that winning ticket: form and function, comfort and elegance.’
