Schimmer Child History

Then

Design: John Pawson Interior build: Designworkshop

Richard Child started the business in 1991, having spent the previous ten years working for Designworkshop; a small but prestigious design and build company in the slightly unlikely setting of a village near Huddersfield in West Yorkshire.

Started by Royal College of Art Graduate Jack Hardy, Designworkshop designed and produced high quality contemporary furniture mostly for a London market and shortly after Richard joined the company, John Pawson who had grown up in nearby Halifax and his business partner Italian architect Claudio Silvestrin, started a collaboration with Designworkshop which lasted for a number of years at the start of their careers: many of their minimalist interiors for art galleries and domestic interiors during the 1980s were made in the workshop.

When Jack Hardy and his partner retired in 1991, Richard considered buying the company but the early 90s recession had left it in a difficult position financially so he decided to put his experience into his own business with initially one other cabinet maker.This workshop continued in the Designworkshop tradition producing simple well crafted pieces, working with architects and designers as well as private clients.

Design: John Pawson Interior build: Designworkshop

Now

In 1994 Claire Schimmer joined the company part-time as a partner, becoming a full time designer/director in 1999; since then we have continued to design and make, developing specialisms of working with museums and art galleries and Project Management for large commercial furniture fit-outs.