Right from the start this has been a fun collaboration. Designer Paula Goodburn was introduced to Rob by a mutual friend. The wonderful, charismatic, fabulous rug designer Jennifer Manners. She said ‘You two are South African. Rob designs strong furniture pieces and Porcupine Rocks has bold and colourful fabrics.’ So that was the beginning of this beautiful South African collaboration.
On a late Autumnal day Paula & Rob sat in Langford's shop window in the Chelsea Design Quarter hatching a colourful plan. Rob was in the throws of designing a new furniture collection to bring to the interiors market post lockdown. At the same time Porcupine Rocks had just taken on a brilliantly talented fabric designer from Cape Town. With Rob's desire to embrace pattern and colour and Porcupine Rocks’ need for beautiful upholstery their creations started to blossom.
The design team at Porcupine Rocks likes to layer up patterns and colours. When it comes to upholstery Paula’s signature theme is to marry up two different patterns and then add a detail of a contrasting plain colour to give the furniture ‘a distinctive line to enhance its shape and form’. This is a technique that designer Paula utilises when she paints or draws. ‘I feel that a strong outline adds an element of structure and drama to a shape, so why stop at art when this concept can be translated so effectively in upholstery. After all a piece of furniture could be considered as a practical sculpture.’
The fabrics that Paula selected for Robert Langford’s furniture are all from the same collection designed by the dynamic sister act at Room13. Porcupine Rocks represents Room13 in the UK. Not only operating as their agent, but also working closely with their fabrics on various interior design projects for the commercial and residential sectors. Based in Cape Town Room13 has produced an exciting fabric collection, each design has its own back story. It’s this narrative that forms the foundation of what Porcupine Rocks believes in.
To create a story across all the chosen Robert Langford pieces of furniture Paula carefully selected fabrics,
marrying florals with geometrics, giving each item individual character and in turn creating a talking point around
these furniture showstoppers.
The outcome is a collection of beautiful upholstered furniture that is not only functional but also a work of art.
For more information about this creative collaboration, including prices and delivery times please contact our studio or and to see the items looking wonderful at Robert Langford's Studio please do visit at 533 Kings Road, Chelsea London SW10 0TZ.