Creating One of our Best Loved Pieces
We’ve been having a trip down memory lane here at salt., sorting through our archive of samples and photographs. As the nights draw in I find myself reflecting on pieces that we have created for different spaces. Wondering how the rooms, and the lives of the people that we designed for, might have changed over the years.
Our pieces are made to last, as fixtures in a home, or final touches that bring texture and focus to a hotel lobby or a restaurant dining room. Each piece has its own personality and I often think about how they have “settled in”, as life moves around them.
Horsehair Panel, handwoven & photographed in 1999
salt. was established in 1996 where we started weaving from our London studio in the Oxo Tower. That studio was a wonderful, bustling space, which we won via a prestigious competition in Elle Decoration.
We continued the handweaving side of the business in Brixton, keeping our commitment to local production. Back then we’d jump on the tube, with ladder and panels in hand, to personally deliver and install whenever we could. Being present from the very beginning through to the very end of the process has always felt like such a privilege.
The natural fabric of life
Working with natural fibres helps to respect every step of the life cycle of a piece. Our ethos has always been one of minimal waste, so even when we moved from Brixton to start using a small batch production mill in Yorkshire a few years later (who are still our weaving partner today), we maintained zero waste strategies.
The longevity of all our products is proven and our pieces are rarely replaced or discarded, which avoids excessive consumption. We use combinations of biobased yarns that ultimately return to the earth, and offer a disassembling service so that when products are removed, we can make sure that any unrecyclable components or fibers are disposed of ecologically.
We weave all of our window-treatments to order, whether a small domestic project or larger commercial one, meaning we only order the yarns required, and minimise our carbon footprint throughout the process. It also means that each project feels uniquely personal, and can take on a life of its own.
Discovering horsehair
One of my favourite ever pieces is a horsehair panel that was first commissioned for a Spa project in 1999. It embodies our commitment to sustainable practices without compromising on design or luxury. We discovered horsehair, a byproduct of other industries that normally ends up in orchestral bow production, and using a minimal weft, we were able to create varying densities, allowing the eye to be drawn through or pause on the surface, keeping textural effects simple.
The design and development process was a fascinating and joyful journey as we built relationships with a new group of like-minded suppliers and craftspeople. Even 25 years ago, we knew we could find people who shared our passion for ethical sourcing and production.
Finding a supplier
Search engines were yet to find their place in general use back in 1999, fax machines were considered modern communication, and we were still using carbon paper to duplicate paperwork. Sourcing new suppliers relied upon word of mouth or lateral thinking, and I can’t remember how we found the wonderful Michael Sowden but here he is in action below, dressing the horsehair.
The art of production
At salt. we are all about how light travels into a space, and how it effects that space emotionally and physically. The horsehair is thicker at one end so it must be alternated or turned to stop it weaving unevenly. With a series of homemade wooden boxes housing this hair, the weaver selects different amounts of strands depending upon the section to be woven. To create more transparency fewer ends are woven together as ends increase opacity.
Textile art piece or functioning Roman Blind?
Both actually! We love a functioning product. By using Silent Gliss’s clear loop tape sewn across the back to create rod pockets, we made hard-fold roman blind modules that perfectly turn a window into a show space, a place where your eye is drawn as soon as you enter the room, perfect for an art piece.
Your next project
Our Horsehair panels remain one of our most asked about products. Originally made with 90% Horsehair and 10% DS Viscose, the viscose is now replaced by organic or environmental alternatives depending on the function and form of the finished piece.
Available to order now. Get in touch to tell us about your design scheme and requirements.