Preserving Craftsmanship: The Soane Britain Story

As a self-proclaimed ‘incurable hoarder,’ with a lifelong penchant for collecting and preserving, Lulu Lytle had a dream to create well-designed furniture that has the longevity of antiques. In 1997, shortly after her 25th birthday, she set off on a road trip across the UK to meet makers engaged in traditional crafts – from blacksmiths and cabinetmakers, to saddlers, stone carvers and upholsterers. “Every workshop I visited shared the same fears about the future survival of their skills and the challenge of finding apprentices to hand their knowledge to,” she explains.

The trip was transformative; sparking a determination to help safeguard Britain’s craft traditions and skills, and in the summer of 1997, Soane was born. Lytle opened her first shop in a basement on the Pimlico Road, renowned as a destination for discerning designers and collectors in London, together with friend and antique dealer Christopher Hodsoll.

Today, 27 years later, the company has showrooms in London and New York and makes furniture, lighting, fabrics and wallpaper, through collaborations with 40 independent British craft workshops. Soane is unique in the breadth of the craftspeople it works with to realize its designs. It has also developed its own in-house manufacturing capabilities in areas such as rattan weaving, lighting assembly, metal patination and chair-making.

Embracing a rigorous approach to quality of manufacturing, products are recognizably ‘Soane’; renowned for their flowing lines, elegant proportions and for integrating playful textures and patterns, often alongside bespoke materials and finishes.

Initially, Soane Britain replicated 18th and 19th-century pieces that Lytle had acquired, along with interpretations of classical forms. But they swiftly transitioned to creating original designs. “What has remained throughout is the knowledge and skill of all the craftspeople we work with,” she says. “We are led by the makers, who understand, better than anyone, the materials they are working with, and I constantly learn from them.”

One of the most remarkable chapters in Soane’s history comes from its support of rattan weaving, a heritage craft that was on the brink of extinction in England. After buying an Edwardian rattan sofa from a house sale in Ireland, Lytle was in search of a weaver to create a modernized version for Soane. She discovered Angraves, a historic family workshop, which was the last of its kind in the country. “They made the most perfect replica of the sofa,” Lytle reminisced, “and so I commissioned more and more pieces, including my own new designs.”

During their time working together, Soane’s rattan collection grew faster than expected. But in 2010 they received news that the workshop was going to close. Lytle decided to purchase it. “The combination of fear of losing these specialist skills forever and a need to fulfill client orders gave me the courage to buy the raw materials and machinery from Angraves’ administrators and rebuild the workshop, initially with just two weavers,” continues Lytle.

Currently, there are 18 craftspeople working at Soane’s Leicestershire rattan workshop, with a combined hundreds of years’ experience. This also allowed the company to establish its own apprenticeship program, with four makers having completed the course thus far, and nine additional apprentices currently in training. “There are three distinct skills in the process of creating rattan designs. These are frame making, randing (weaving) and finishing”, she explains. “Some apprentices like to learn just one of these skills whilst others prefer to try at least two. We’re thrilled to see application numbers grow significantly every year.”

It can take a skilled weaver up to three days to make a large lampshade and over four weeks to make a finely woven sofa. "Acknowledging makers is absolutely key, but sadly still not commonplace," explains Lytle, noting an urgent need for transparency in the industry. “There is a pressing need to make less, better. I believe it is our responsibility to initiate the conversations around the integrity of craftsmanship, modes of production and sustainable materials.”

Soane is envisioning a future where little is wasted, with an eye on achieving fully biodegradable, recyclable or repairable materials in the near future. Their recently launched natural upholstery is a positive step towards this goal. Eschewing plastic foam, they are starting to use latex foam impregnated with graphite, coconut coir, and locally sourced sheep’s wool. The mix of natural upholstery fillings are free from flame-retardant chemicals, and still meet domestic fire regulations.

Most rattan palms are grown in the tropical regions of southeast Asia, and Soane aims to ensure its material is responsibly harvested, processed and shipped. This has included collaborating with specialists at Kew Gardens, who can examine the DNA of a plant to make it easier to trace its precise sources. It’s worth noting that neither rattan’s agricultural production nor its processing is currently covered under a third-party verification or green certification standard.

“As a small business, we have limited commercial influence to bring about change, but by collaborating with like-minded suppliers, peers and customers, we believe we can continue to improve,” says Lytle. “Our aim is to work towards full traceability of the materials we use so that we know exactly where they come from and can ensure the people working in our supply chain are treated well and paid fairly.”

Photography: Soane Britain, Damian Russell

Video: Soane Britain