Shimell & Madden | Jewellery Designers & Makers

Shimell & Madden | Jewellery Designers & Makers

The next episode of A Collection Of… Spaces is with jewellery designers and makers Luke Shimell & Emma Madden at their studio in Haggerston, East London. Luke and Emma met in Devon while both beginning their journeys in the jewellery industry, Luke through a more traditional apprenticeship route, and Emma from a craft based practice. They began their creative partnership in 2010 and have continued ever since. Their early collections took inspiration from minerals, rocks and naturally occurring geometric forms and shapes that still inform their bespoke work today. Both share an interest not only in the intricacies of making, but also in how materials react to heat and chemicals through a process called ‘pickling’. Their understanding informs the ways in which ways materials transform through scientific processes during production. The nature of their work often leads to people bringing heirloom jewellery to be reworked into contemporary pieces, alongside the bespoke work of designing & making engagement and wedding bands that carry the stories of their wearers throughout their lives. These are objects designed to be worn daily, lived with, and hopefully passed down through generations. Designing for longevity within such small and delicate objects is no simple brief to fulfil. The building in which their studio and workshop sits felt nostalgic, full of the smells, colours and quiet atmosphere that reminded me of my dad’s offices in the 90s. Enjoy! https://www.instagram.com/shimell_madden [https://www.instagram.com/shimell_madden] https://www.shimellandmadden.com [https://www.shimellandmadden.com] - - - If you would like to contribute to this series then please feel free to get in touch. I would love to see your workshop, studio, garden shed, home project or small space you call your own. ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠www.acollectionof.info⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ [https://www.acollectionof.info] ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠www.instagram.com/acollectionof.info⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ [www.instagram.com/acollectionof.info] ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠www.youtube.com/@acollectionof⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ [ www.youtube.com/@acollectionof] - - - "A Collection Of… Spaces" is a series where I visit the workspaces of creative practitioners to explore their ideas, processes and ways of thinking. Through relaxed conversations and accompanying photographs, the series uncovers how their environments shape what they make, from the tools they reach for to the inspirations that guide their day. Each episode highlights the value of studios, workshops and home project spaces as places that support experimentation, creativity and the quiet work that sits behind finished pieces.

John Booth | Ceramicist & Illustrator

This episode of "A Collection Of… Spaces" is with John Booth, ceramicist, designer and illustrator. I visited John in his railway-arch studio in Haggerston, East London, a space he’s shared for the past nine years with seven other artists working across ceramics and mixed media. The studio has the feel of a home workspace: books, magazines and sketches are always within reach, feeding a constant loop of ideas. John’s corner is a layered mix of practical workbenches, past projects, rammed bookshelves and plaster moulds, all sharing the signature pops of colour you’ll recognise from his work. His practice spans objects like egg cups and mugs through to fashion collections and large-scale murals for some of the world’s biggest fashion labels, including Fendi. We spoke about John’s creative journey: moving from Cumbria to London to study Fashion Print Design at Central Saint Martins, working in-house for major fashion houses after graduating, and how a passing interest in a ceramics course gradually became the core medium for creating his work today. My main takeaway from the conversation was John’s openness to learning and collaborating with others. This comes through clearly in his large-scale public installations, where ideas are presented to fabricators and brands through sketches and maquettes rather than polished 3D renders, keeping the work closely aligned with his process. It was a useful reminder for me, someone who often believes everything can be learned alone, that while that may be true, working with collaborators can elevate the outcome. That balance is especially clear in his ongoing collaboration with Ian McIntyre under the name Supergroup. John’s creative outlook is complemented by Ian’s technical and fabrication insight, creating a strong connection between bespoke studio pieces and factory-scale production, most recently seen in their collections for Hem & The Conran Shop. Enjoy! www.instagram.com/john_booth [https://www.instagram.com/john_booth/] www.instagram.com/supergroupprojects [https://www.instagram.com/supergroupprojects/] www.john-booth.com [http://www.john-booth.com/] - - - If you would like to contribute to this series then please feel free to get in touch. I would love to see your workshop, studio, garden shed, home project or small space you call your own. ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠www.acollectionof.info⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ [https://www.acollectionof.info] ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠www.instagram.com/acollectionof.info⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ [www.instagram.com/acollectionof.info] ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠www.youtube.com/@acollectionof⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ [ www.youtube.com/@acollectionof] - - - "A Collection Of… Spaces" is a series where I visit the workspaces of creative practitioners to explore their ideas, processes and ways of thinking. Through relaxed conversations and accompanying photographs, the series uncovers how their environments shape what they make, from the tools they reach for to the inspirations that guide their day. Each episode highlights the value of studios, workshops and home project spaces as places that support experimentation, creativity and the quiet work that sits behind finished pieces.

Liang-Jung Chen | Artist & Researcher

The first episode of A Collection Of… Spaces in 2026 is a conversation with Liang-Jung Chen, an artist, researcher and collector. I visited Liang at her live/work studio in Poplar, East London, where she has been based as part of a three-year residency at the Acme Fire Station. The space functions as both home and studio, supporting a practice that moves between making, research and reflection. I first came across Liang through The Hardware Archive and was curious about how the project has evolved over time. We spoke about the process of collecting, researching and cataloguing everyday household items, and how the archive operates as an ongoing research space that elevates ubiquitous hardware, objects often overlooked yet deeply embedded in daily life. Our conversation explored how Liang uses her space, and the realities of being a full-time artist in London while also taking part in international residencies and workshops. We talked about the challenges of finding short-term work with other artists and arts organisations, and how this shapes the rhythm of her practice. Liang’s wider artistic work spans movement, performance and site-specific installation. A recent project documents her personal journey through the British citizenship and indefinite leave to remain application process, using performance and documentation to navigate systems of belonging and bureaucracy. I left the conversation thinking about what it means to live and work in the same space, something many people struggle to separate both physically and mentally. It echoed my earlier conversation with Daniel Eatock and the idea of treating everything as one, the work you make and the life you live unified in a way that allows ideas to emerge, overlap and evolve. Enjoy! https://www.instagram.com/liangjung_chen/ [https://www.instagram.com/liangjung_chen/] https://liangjungchen.com/ [https://liangjungchen.com/] https://www.instagram.com/hardware_archive/ [https://www.instagram.com/hardware_archive/] https://hardwarearchive.org/ [https://hardwarearchive.org/] - - - If you would like to contribute to this series then please feel free to get in touch. I would love to see your workshop, studio, garden shed, home project or small space you call your own. ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠www.acollectionof.info⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ [https://www.acollectionof.info] ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠www.instagram.com/acollectionof.info⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ [www.instagram.com/acollectionof.info] ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠www.youtube.com/@acollectionof⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ [ www.youtube.com/@acollectionof] - - - "A Collection Of… Spaces" is a series where I visit the workspaces of creative practitioners to explore their ideas, processes and ways of thinking. Through relaxed conversations and accompanying photographs, the series uncovers how their environments shape what they make, from the tools they reach for to the inspirations that guide their day. Each episode highlights the value of studios, workshops and home project spaces as places that support experimentation, creativity and the quiet work that sits behind finished pieces.

Daniel Eatock | Artist & Designer

Welcome back to 'A Collection Of Spaces', this episode is with Daniel Eatock an artist and designer. I visited Daniel in his home studio in Lower Clapton in East London. A space which each room has its own studio function for ideas, physical making, cooking a meal or sharing time with friends and family. I'd rediscovered Daniel's work recently through a show as part of London Design Festival where he made skateboards decks inspired by the shape of swimming pools titled 'Alvar Wave and the Ripple Effect’. I then spent an inspiriting Saturday morning looking through Daniels website on which, he has chronologically shared ideas, realised exhibitions and created opportunities for collaboration going back to 1991. It connected with me through a wide mix of photography, concepts for furniture and ideas of projects yet to be fully realised. From there I discovered he had created the platform the website was built on called Indexhibit. A platform I'd spent many hours building my own websites on around 2007 and helped to start my time as website designer after university building websites friends and tutors photography portfolios. Daniel’s work is highly conceptual, a word that might feel daunting without seeing it in action, but at its core it’s about generating ideas, sharing them, and seeing how they can evolve, whether in an instant or over the course of a few years. I hope you enjoy the conversation and I encourage you to take time to look at his huge archive of work on his website - Eatock.com [https://www.eatock.com/] Enjoy! https://www.eatock.com [https://www.eatock.com/] https://www.instagram.com/eatockdaniel [https://www.instagram.com/eatockdaniel] - - - If you would like to contribute to this series then please feel free to get in touch. I would love to see your workshop, studio, garden shed, home project or small space you call your own. ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠www.acollectionof.info⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ [https://www.acollectionof.info] ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠www.instagram.com/acollectionof.info⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ [www.instagram.com/acollectionof.info] ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠www.youtube.com/@acollectionof⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ [ www.youtube.com/@acollectionof] - - - A Collection Of. is an outlet for bespoke design,fabrication & collaboration resulting in objects for the home, outdoors or wherever your journey may take you. Founded with the goal of producing in a utilitarian & material conscious way.

Roads2Joya | Upholsterers

Welcome back to ‘A Collection Of Spaces’ for 2025 with Upholsterers - Ayesha & Steph from Roads2Joya At the start of last year, I was searching for a way to step away from the workshop for a day, find some inspiration, and learn new skills. That's when I discovered Ayesha and Steph from Roads2Joya and their upholstery workshop—so off I went! Since then, Ayesha has commissioned me for several fabrication jobs, including stool bases and chair frames. It's been such a rewarding experience, not only learning about the intricate processes behind upholstery but also getting to know them both at their studio in Peckham over a few cups of tea. In this episode, we dive into their journeys into upholstery, from their formal craft education to the techniques they’ve perfected working on everything from Georgian-era furniture to modern-day pieces. We talked about the process of collaborating with designers and architects, exploring how they transform a flat 2D drawing into a piece of furniture that’s not only built to last a lifetime but can also be reupholstered by future owners. Enjoy! https://www.roads2joya.com [https://www.roads2joya.com] https://www.instagram.com/roads2joya/ [https://www.instagram.com/roads2joya/] - - - If you would like to contribute to this series then please feel free to get in touch. I would love to see your workshop, studio, garden shed, home project or small space you call your own. ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠www.acollectionof.info⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ [https://www.acollectionof.info] ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠www.instagram.com/acollectionof.info⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ [www.instagram.com/acollectionof.info] ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠www.youtube.com/@acollectionof⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ [ www.youtube.com/@acollectionof] - - - A Collection Of. is an outlet for bespoke design,fabrication & collaboration resulting in objects for the home, outdoors or wherever your journey may take you. Founded with the goal of producing in a utilitarian & material conscious way.