Russell pinch furniture
The stylish French home of the owners of Pinch Design
Travel
Since he was a child, Russell Pinch’s family has been restoring a sleepy hamlet in western France. Now he and his wife Oona Bannon have transformed the last building, an old cowshed, into a holiday house filled with their elegant furniture
By David Nicholls
Michael Sinclair
'Right,’ we thought. ‘First things first: remove all the rubbish and 30 years’ worth of cow dung and let’s see what we have to work with.’ Oona Bannon is recalling what was going through her and her husband Russell Pinch’s minds in 2003 as they began the process of converting a 17th-century cow barn in rural western France. The site is barely an hour from the coast and Ile de Ré – sometimes referred to as the French Hamptons – but its atmosphere is far more aligned with the local village of Surgères, which is, happily, further off the tourist and expat trail.
The story really starts almost 40 years earlier, when Russell’s parents and a few aunts and uncles, all with a sense of idealism and a can-do attitude, bought the little hamlet in which the barn sits. This sounds far more romantic than it must have been at the time. Historically, there were 27 buildings on the site – workers’ cottages, rabbit and pigeon houses, stables and more – but by the Seventies most of these had, as Oona puts it, ‘fallen into disrepair and seeped into the fields’. Nonetheless, Russell’s father John was enraptured by the place and ran around with such excitement that he nearly knocked himself unconscious on a stone gate.
From the age of four, Russell spent his summers camping and playing in the garden, as the grown-ups slowly restored the small handful of dilapidated stone buildings that remained. These became a cluster of five holiday houses, each taking about five years to complete and, one by one, filled by different branches of the family. By the early 2000s, only one building remained untouched – the dung- and detritus-filled barn – and this was to become Russell and Oona’s.
For some unfathomable reason, the couple considered it would be a good idea to take on the project at around the same time that they were launching their furniture company, Pinch. ‘I don’t know what we were thinking,’ Oona now confesses. ‘We had no budget. Russell was doing all the work on the house with his dad and I was there in my wellies trying to be helpful.’
Meanwhile, they had phone calls to their London studio redirected to France. ‘It was ridiculous – the phone would ring and we would pretend to be in London and act professional.’ If they managed to sell a piece of furniture, they would celebrate this by spending the money on supplies for the next phase of works. It involved seven years of backbreaking labour, with no family holidays (they also had two daughters along the way, who spent their summers playing in the sandpit of a building site). ‘But Russell loved it,’ Oona explains. ‘He really connects with the process of creating something and gets a sense of calm from seeing progression.
’
Today, the cowshed is a four-bedroom house and the time the family spends in this quiet little corner of France is far more relaxing. The girls – Ada is now 11 and Floris is 10 – can live relatively free range compared to when they are in Brixton, where the Pinches have their main home. And, as you would expect, a great deal of life here is conducted outdoors. The Charente-Maritime area has an appealing microclimate with enough sunshine to rival the weather on the Côte d’Azur. When the extended family is also in residence, there is much hopping between terraces and loggias to have meals together.
MAY WE SUGGEST: A fixer-upper in Southern France decorated by the textile designer Kathryn Ireland
Russell and Oona have embraced open-plan living in the main body of the building with its double-height ceiling, where the large oak beams and local Charente-stone walls have been left exposed. Approximately 20,000 blocks of parquet flooring – a gift from Oona’s father, who sourced them from a convent under refurbishment in the west of Ireland – were individually cleaned, repaired and laid in a herringbone pattern.
Perhaps the floor’s provenance explains the miraculous luck that there were only eight pieces of wood left by the time the last one was tapped into position.
Pinch is best known for its elegant wooden furniture, much of which has been used in this house. While there is an appealing sense of restraint in the pieces that the brand designs, it is not austere: an encounter with a dining chair, for example, does not feel like a punishment. Rather, as someone who spent two very happy days here with the Pinches, I can attest to the fact that the furniture is every bit as inviting, comfortable and easy to get on with as the owners themselves.
Michael Sinclair
Native ShareA contemporary stove from Saey provides a stylish backdrop for a relaxed mix of furniture, with pieces by Pinch, including a ‘Goddard’ sofa, ‘Clyde’ lamp table and ‘Soren’ light, alongside People of the Sun’s rattan ‘Malawi Chair’.
Michael Sinclair
Native ShareOona and Russell enjoy lunch in the loggia with their daughters Ada, 11, and Floris, 10.
Michael Sinclair
Native ShareDesigned and built by Russell, the kitchen combines oak surfaces and splashbacks with cupboards painted in ‘Railings’ by Farrow & Ball. A Pinch ‘Achilles’ table in scrubbed oak is teamed with ash ‘Holland Park’ chairs designed by Russell for Ercol.
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Michael Sinclair
Native ShareThe Charente-stone walls offer a rustic contrast with a Pinch lacquered ‘Frey’ sideboard. A vintage lamp and porcelain bowls by Billy Lloyd are displayed alongside a painting by a local artist.
Michael Sinclair
Native ShareWisteria covers the stone wall by the main entrance that leads into the double-height sitting room. Fragrant plantings of Russian sage and lavender are combined with grasses including Miscanthus sinensis ‘Starlight’.
Michael Sinclair
Native ShareThe snug is bathed in sunlight for most of the day, making it the perfect place to relax on the Pinch ‘Boyd’ sofa in Kravet’s peach ‘Versailles’ velvet.
Michael Sinclair
Native ShareThis middle space in an enfilade along one side of the main room acts as an antechamber for the spare room and has good overhead light for painting.
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Michael Sinclair
Native ShareA Pinch ‘Yves’ desk in walnut and leather and a prototype ‘Avery’ chair provide a secluded spot to work on the landing above the kitchen.
Michael Sinclair
Native ShareA sculpture by Russell’s father John looks over a Pinch ‘Moreau’ bed. On the ceiling, Farrow & Ball’s ‘Peignoir’ paint in modern eggshell reflects light.
Michael Sinclair
Native ShareA bath in Little Greene’s ‘Orange Aurora’ and ceiling in ‘Red Earth’ paint by Farrow & Ball tone with Russell’s ‘Maiden’ stool for Benchmark.
Michael Sinclair
Native ShareBed linen by Castle and a striped kilim from Morocco complement Pinch’s ‘Joyce’ chest of drawers and oak ‘Harlosh’ bedside tables.
TopicsDesigners' housesOld houses with contemporary interiorsHoliday homesFrench HousesFarmhousesModern CountryCountryHouses
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Growing up amongst the sawdust and shavings of his father’s workshop, Russell Pinch’s passion for craft ensures each piece of furniture is designed to be enjoyed.
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Born 1973, Russell Pinch studied at Ravensbourne College of Design, London. Working as a design assistant for Sir Terence Conran, he rose to become a Senior Product Designer for the Conran Group, working on a diverse range of projects from the redesign of Concord to furniture. In 2000 he set up the multi-disciplinary brand design agency The Nest, before a return to furniture when he set up PINCH design studio with his wife Oona Bannon.
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Group 11 CopyBenefits of wood furniture and accessories: designer Russell Pinch's opinion | Admagazine
Design News
Designer Russell Pinch discusses the benefits of wood furniture and accessories.
Designer Russell Pinch talks about the benefits of wood furniture and accessories.
Englishman, graduated from Ravensbourne College of Design in London. In 2004, together with his wife Oona Bannon, he founded his own furniture brand Pinch, working not only for himself, but also for the American company Crate and Barrel.
Englishman Russell Pinch believes that every piece of furniture must be remarkable in order to win its place in the interior. The tree is particularly rich in possibilities in this respect. It has warmth (literally and figuratively), a special aura and an incredible decorative variety.
“I always pay attention not only to the appearance and shape of an object, but also to how and what it is made of,” says the designer. For example, the sculpture Reclaimed by Crate and Barrel has a story: the ring is made up of fragments of old boards used in India to build bridges, railway cars and camel carts.
That is, it not only saves resources, but also drags history along with it. And the Entu coffee table also deserves attention because of the texture. It is made from teak grown under the special supervision of the Forest Stewardship Council. The details of the product are connected by the tenon-groove method, which affects the strength and appearance of the product.
Reclaimed Sculpture is made from reclaimed wood chips, Crate and Barrel.
press service archives
Wood is a natural, environmentally friendly material, and it must have an appropriate environment. So, the base of the Taraval sofa is made of solid oak, the upholstery is cotton, and the pillows are sewn from linen.
Taraval sofa with aged oak base and cotton upholstery, Crate and Barrel.
press service archives
Pinch's own designs meet his own requirements: the Victuals bar cabinet is made entirely of cherry, so it not only looks good, but also smells delicious.
Victuals bar cabinet with cherry fronts, designed by Russell Pinch, Crate and Barrel.
press archives
And the Penarth mirror is framed by a textured oak frame, tinted in walnut. “Designer things should not scream about themselves, but they must be of high quality so that they want to be passed on from generation to generation.” With objects made of wood, this will not cause any problems.
Penarth mirror with walnut finish solid oak frame, designed by Russell Pinch, Crate and Barrel.
press archives
Entu teak coffee table. Its elements are connected in a tongue-and-groove, Crate and Barrel way.
press office archives
Text: Olga Sorokina
Photo: press office archives
Russell Pinch: an interview with the British designer and photos of his best work | Admagazine
Design News
English designer Russell Pinch works from the comfort of his home: he set up an office in the kitchen, hired his own wife and achieved success.
Russell Pinch looks at Napoleons: “Imagine a two-story mall with my name on it in red neon letters. No, it would be better if there were two stores: one in London and the other in New York. They will differ sharply from each other - both in decoration and in assortment. But, of course, my hand should be felt in everything.” The thirty-four-year-old designer, who still looks like a bespectacled nerd student, lays out his plan to conquer the world with radiant self-irony. And he is not at all embarrassed that so far these dreams are far from reality.
Russell Pinch at home surrounded by miniature furniture models.
NATO WELTON; ben auders/media 10 images; press archives
Pinch was founded nine years ago. Things are going well, but Russell does not yet have a chic store, or even a modest office. The only employee of the firm is his wife, Oona Bannon.
Pinch is thinking about hiring more employees, but managerial work does not appeal to him: “It’s scary to even think about how much time it takes.”
Designer Russell Pinch, his wife and colleague Oona Bannon and their Alba wardrobe.
NATO WELTON; ben auders/media 10 images; press service archives
Russell knows what he's talking about: in 1999, he and his friends founded The Nest, a design studio. Soon the company began to take orders from all over the world, and its staff has grown to forty-five people. “I was the creative director. The title of the position is impressive, but in reality, all I did was deal with bank accounts and manage the turnover.”
Yves oak desk with removable linoleum top.
NATO WELTON; ben auders/media 10 images; press archives
Russell now has only a tiny showroom set up at his home in London's Brixton. The designer easily receives clients and journalists right in the kitchen, and exhibited his best works in the living room.
For example, the Twig bench, a bundle of walnut twigs that has become a bestseller. Here you can also see the Wave sideboard and cabinets from the new collection with embossed doors made of many wooden planks.
One of Pinch's bestsellers is the Wave sideboard in walnut with wave-shaped doors.
NATO WELTON; ben auders/media 10 images; press service archives
“A design object should not scream about itself. It is much better if he will quietly stand somewhere in the corner, not attracting attention to himself, ”Russell explains his philosophy. All of his designs are based on simple, classic shapes, which he brings to life with modern details and finishes. The most telling example is the wooden table that Pinch has in the kitchen. “God, this is not a designer thing at all! Russell laughs. “We made it with my father for Christmas because we needed a big table. Everything was done by hand, with a saw, planer and sandpaper.” The designer is clearly proud of this.
In general, he is constantly making something: before making a prototype of a new thing on a one-to-one scale, he cuts a miniature model out of plywood with a jigsaw. “I need to see and feel how the subject comes out,” Pinch explains.
The Sola table, designed for the SCP brand, is based on a shaker-style furniture.
NATO WELTON; ben auders/media 10 images; archives of press services
Father instilled love for manual labor in the future designer in childhood – Russell literally spent the day and night in his workshop. He learned about how modern furniture production works at about the same time: his godfather was an employee of Herman Miller and Vitra. As a schoolboy, Pinch worked part-time there during the holidays.
Elsie sofa upholstered in Timorous Beasties fabric featuring Norman Foster's Gherkin Tower.
NATO WELTON; ben auders/media 10 images; press archives
Then there were studies at the Ravensbourne College of Design in London and work for Habitat founder Terence Conran.
