An award-winning furniture designer has chosen the South Hams to open a new showroom

An award-winning furniture designer has chosen the South Hams to be his next place of inspiration, as Sebastian Blakeley comes to Loddiswell

Sebastian grew up in Cornwall before moving to London and the South East where he started his journey as a furniture restorer and cabinet maker. Chance meetings and a lot of serendipity led him to Italy, where he spread his wings as a designer craftsman working with a series of small family-run Italian businesses. 

After returning to the UK, Sebastian and his partner, Bethany Colebrooke, have set up a workshop and showroom just below Loddiswell on the road that leads to Avon Nurseries. 

His time in Italy has shaped his aesthetics, and he creates tactile signature pieces characterised by a combination of traditional craftsmanship and semi industrial non ferrous metal components creating edgy chic pieces that “illustrate his effortless ability to combine great style with well thought out functionality”. 

With clients around the globe Sebastian has been creating stunning pieces of furniture for four decades. From chairs, sofas and chaise-longue to magazine racks, tables and even statement staircases. Sebastian’s designs combine authentic British craftsmanship with a curated Italian design to create “heirlooms of the future”. 

He explained: “Once the design of an item of furniture is conceived, its functionality has to be rigorously studied and tested. 

“Comfort, posture, strength, practicality and longevity are all critical in the process, as are choice and selection of materials. The pairing of the right materials can really enhance the dynamics of a design, of the finished piece. 

“It’s this handcrafted relationship between us as artisans and the finished project that brings the design to life.”

An “unwilling artist”, Sebastian said he shied away from that label in his younger days as a craftsman. It’s only in recent years, with the now fully tested combining of my traditional British craftsmanship with a very strong Italian design ethos that I now feel slightly more comfortable with this label. 

“Living in Tuscany, which is awash with art, history and fashion, certainly helped shape this journey of aesthetic appreciation. I began to conceive in my mind’s eye, two dimensional linear forms. Chairs became something of a passion. I learned to let the linear form reveal itself, rather than pushing for specific creative design concepts. 

“In fact, it's a technique that I use to this day, both with private commissions and production projects, let the designs come to me rather than pushing for a specific design concept. My current portfolio of chair designs is a testament to that.”

As well as his talent and creative ability, Sebastian prides himself on the relationship he has with his clients, calling his creative output “relationship lead”. 

He added: “The commission process, interaction with the client, the design journey all the way through to the essential finishing touches, they all feed into the creative process. 

“I guess you could say that the best artistic outcomes transcend time and trends. Crafting heirlooms for generations to come - now that is an exhilarating aspiration to work towards.”

You can find out more about Sebastian Blakeley and his collection via his SouthHams.com listing or if you would like to discuss a commission or visit his workshop, call 01548 859875 or 07473 118407 or email This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it..