Behind the design: Smile

British designer Sarah has been designing and making things in wood since studying furniture craftsmanship at Parnham College in Dorset.

Today her work covers a broad spectrum from bespoke designs for private clients and public art commissions, to design consultancy for some of the UK’s most respected retailers of contemporary furniture such as SCP, Heal’s and Benchmark Furniture.

No stranger to award success, Sarah’s growing list of accomplishments and acclaims was bolstered earlier this year when her Smile stool, manufactured by Sitting Firm for luxury kitchen retailer Harvey Jones, was one of 34 designs to be awarded the Design Guild Mark for 2017.

We caught up with Sarah to find out more about the design process she took to create Smile.

What initially inspired you to make Smile?

The inspiration is definitely kitchens, they are the heart of a home. I started by thinking how kitchens are happy places and how I might somehow communicate that in the design.

How did you strike the balance between function and design?

The ‘happy’ idea behind the stool manifests in the shape of the seat – the form of a smile. This is very much functional as it provides comfort. The rest is about proportion which is both a visual element and functional in that the footrest must be robust enough to withstand someone putting their full weight on them. Since the design needed to be manufactured in the UK and for a competitive price, I realised that it should be a Windsor chair type construction from the beginning.

Who does Smile appeal to?

People who like clean contemporary lines, who appreciate the natural beauty of wood and good craftsmanship.

What changes did you make along the way?

I made six different stool seats, each a slightly different radius until I was satisfied it was comfortable. I also played with the thickness of the seat and angles of the legs – getting the right splay for stability without creating a footprint that would take up too much space. Little details like the radius around the edge of the seat can only be decided by actually doing it and comparing.

How is Smile different from anything else out there?

The Smile stool is competitively priced in a market that has a lot of inexpensive imports. It is by far superior to many of them in quality of making and materials. The design has many references, from Shaker to Windsor, but it has a quiet, contemporary appeal.

For more information about Sarah, go to www.sarah-kay.co.uk