someday meets John Green
John Green is an award-winning British designer based in Yorkshire. His Nordic-style contemporary furniture is based on John's simple approach to design - create innovative and functional pieces that people can't resist.
We are delighted that John's timeless designs are now available at our shop and to celebrate the launch of John Green at someday, we had a chat with John to hear more about his story and eponymous brand.
Read the interview below >
Welcome to someday, John! What inspired you to set up your own design studio?
Essentially it all started with an Embrace! I studied product design at university, and for one of the modules we had to design a piece of furniture and Embrace was born. Having received positive feedback from people within the industry, and winning awards for its design I decided to put the table into production. Through the income generated by the sale of Embrace, I was able to set up the design studio and the John Green brand. Now 15 years later we have sold close to 3000 units!
Has the pandemic changed the way you design furniture for homes and people?
No not really. If anything I think the pandemic has demonstrated how versatile our products are. The term ‘resi-mercial’ has become synonymous with a lot of what we do - pieces that are at home in both the the residential and commercial environments. People find their own uses for our furniture though, its always nice to hear from customers and see our products enrich the environments they end up in.
How would you describe your design style?
Contemporary honest design with a touch of Scandinavian. I don’t really follow design trends specifically. My design ethos is all about creating products that are timeless and well made. A good piece of design should last a lifetime.
Where is your furniture made?
All of our furniture is manufactured in Europe and the UK. The focus for me is the quality of manufacture and proximity to the source of raw materials.
What inspires you?
Good design inspires me to create my own designs - not just furniture, I also love to travel and experience new cultures.
What is your favourite piece in your collection at the moment
Embrace (pictured below) will always have a special place in my heart as without it I wouldn’t be where I am. However, at the moment I’m really loving our new Otis bench. It's the latest piece to join the Otis collection so its great to translate the design into a new piece and it gives an alternative for people wanting something different to the chair. I love how much of the grain can been seen through the black stained finish, and its just such a versatile piece of furniture.
How are you approaching sustainability and environmentally responsible design?
Sustainability is something that we are constantly striving to improve all the time as it affects so many aspects of our industry, and our planet. By using factories that are close to their source, we avoid shipping raw materials around the world unnecessarily. At every point in our design process we are wanting to minimise the stages of production. From the design perspective, ensuring there is minimal waste in the use of raw materials is key for us. We are pleased to say that all of our packaging is made using fully recycled materials and where possible we always recycle our own packaging. We also offer a Lifetime guarantee for all our furniture products as we prefer to repair and extend a product's lifetime.
What does your own home look like? Describe your own interior style
My home is currently a bit of a building site as we are undergoing a major renovation. There are still skips and building mess surrounding the house, but we have completed most of the interiors (see above). My style is minimalist, I can’t stand clutter or carpets!!
What's in store for the future of JGD?
We are constantly developing new products, and getting ready for exhibiting at Maison and Objet in Paris in January 2023.
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