Stemming from a deep appreciation of midcentury and European design, Roweam’s luxury furniture line evokes a sense of simple nostalgia. This week, founder Blair Moore joins us to discuss the brand’s “New Vintage” collection, a line of old-world-style silhouettes crafted with modern life and longevity in mind.
Raymond Paul Schneider: When did you first start to develop this collection?
Blair Moore: Roweam’s inaugural “New Vintage” collection is a five-year labor of love — each stain, turning, stitch, and staple is made by the hands of local craftsmen and designed to patina perfectly. I grew up on in a working cattle property in Australia and believe in the profound significance of purpose and the connection between objects and human hands. What has truly sculpted Roweam is this upbringing, being mindful of the purpose of something and its connection to human hands. For me, a piece of furniture should connect to a place, a memory, and its maker. It should tell a story of its own.
RPS: What was the overall timeline from conception to achieving the final design?
BM: 6 years. We started building the internals of the pieces about six years ago, learning different sorts of interior techniques on how to craft the best chair, how to craft the best sofa and sustainable implementation. Then we started focusing from the inside out, so focusing on the structural integrity of the piece and only then on the soft goods of the piece.
RPS: What was your initial inspiration, and where did the idea(s) come from?
BM: The inspiration for the “New Vintage” collection stems from a deep appreciation of European design, that includes the refined elegance of Italian Midcentury as well as the classic charm of English style. The idea to blend these influences emerged from a desire to create pieces that are not only visually striking but also inherently comfortable and inviting. The Bromley sofa and loveseat, for example, combine streamlined forms with casual English slipcovers, offering both sophistication and a welcoming feel. The Pavilion chair (pictured above), with its dramatic lines and romantic sway, embodies a nostalgic yet modern appeal, merging the curvaceous forms of Italian design with the quaint details typical of English aesthetics. Meanwhile, the Brutalist yet soft Bromley Ottoman serves as a versatile and robust anchor within the space.
RPS: Please describe your overall creative and design process.
BM: We design a little differently. We start with initial sketches and developments of the details, but where we really excel is when we’re sitting side by side with our artisans and craftsmen. Ideas grow and begin to formulate with the touch of our hands. It is, and will always be, a key part of our process. When an artist and artisan work side by side, there’s something magical about the way a piece takes shape. It doesn’t come from 3D modeling; it’s formulated by years of instincts melding together in a spirit of true collaboration. From concepts to framing, turning to stitching, quilting to down, and fabrication to upholstery finishing, there are thousands of hours, from the concept to the final quality approval before our team launches a new piece.
RPS: Did you have a specific audience or theme in mind?
BM: We believe in the storytelling power of furniture made to age through generations. Inspired from the minds of designers, Roweam came to fruition as an alternative to fast furniture where consumers can invest in craft without sacrificing quality. We build and repurpose products that preserve history and celebrate craftsmanship. One-of-a-kind pieces that feel like home. This is the New Nostalgia.
RPS: Please describe the methods, tools, and materials you used to develop and prototype this collection.
BM: We worked with different individual Craftsmen depending on the application, the materials used in fabrication, or their skill set. For example, I didn’t want our turned pieces to feel “manufactured.” I wanted everything to feel handmade and that includes some imperfection. I would sketch what I wanted a leg to look like and then work with an artisan to develop the design. We would tweak the curves by 1/8th or 1/16th of an inch, back and forth for about two months until we felt it was right. Then we took it to old school hand turners that turned the piece and continued adjusting with me — we went through I think 25 to 30 rounds of adjustments for each element until we got it right.
RPS: Please describe any challenges that affected the design and perhaps steered you to an entirely new final design.
BM: I don’t know if anything steered us to an entirely different design, but structural challenges certainly led to slight changes in aesthetics. Our development process was so methodical and in-depth that we were able to resolve most issues without compromising the result.
RPS: Describe your overall brand DNA and Ethos:
BM: Roweam’s mission is to create furniture that transcends time, embodying a sense of connection to the past, present, and future. Each piece is meticulously designed to age gracefully and develop a unique patina, mirroring the lives and experiences of its owners. It’s important to feel the worn-in nature of the arms of a chair that have been touched a thousand times; to see that patina on the corner of a leather seat that’s been worn away by hundreds of dinner party guests; to create a piece that travels with you that you make memories within.
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