In the studio with:
A quick-fire chat with object and furniture designer, maker of things and avid observer of simplicity, Charlie Boyden

If you could live in any building, which would it be?

I’ve always fantasised about being a groundskeeper and having a cottage on the grounds of a big estate, surrounded by nature. I’d spend my days tending to the land and return for a cup of tea every other hour

Can you think of a design trend that you used to dislike, but now love?

I used to dislike the grand cornice-style picture frames which would hang on the walls of old galleries, modernised into gold-coloured moulding frames that could be found in the homes of the aspirational, as though they were trying to ascend their status in the world. I used to think they were ugly and invasive, taking away from the art which they were meant to frame. But now I have a fondness for them. The idea of the over-complicated frame being an artwork in itself. I plan to explore these by cutting them in with more modern mouldings and painting them in full-block colours, taking them out of their golden glossy format and looking at them through a re-contextualised lens

What’s the best creative mistake you’ve ever made?

That’s a hard question. Playing with materials and objects – stacking, drilling, glueing, or welding them together – allows you to find things that do and don’t work. Through that process, some mistakes can be an indication of something that doesn’t work or they can just as easily be viewed as something to explore, something interesting

What’s your favourite small object from your studio, why, and what does it mean to you?

This plastic lampshade. It belonged to my partner’s grandparents and was subtly suspended above their kitchen table. It’s made of thin plastic, and each leaf locks in with a groove. I was always fascinated by its form and the way it held light. At the time of our first encounter (the lampshade and I), I was using CNC machines for a lot of my work, and I think that is why it caught my eye. I plan to use its form to create a similar object in wood

Is there a film, song or painting that evokes, aligns with or defines your creativity?

Brian Eno’s music resonates with me and feeds into my practice. I’ll usually have his work on as I’m planning and making. The dreamlike narrative he builds puts me in a flow-state; a calm space where I can think freely and without distraction. It’s like a story unfolding and creates an environment for me to do the same within my work

Dream place to design a home for you or for someone else?

I’d love to design and build a house in Japan. I imagine I would be heavily influenced by the local materials and building processes. While also allowing the location, seasons and culture to shape the building

Favourite flora?

Tulips