This time of year is beautiful in many ways, but with darker days, cooler air and the outdoors visually fading into winter, it gives us the perfect excuse to liven up the inside of the home with vibrant colour, texture and pattern. Senior Customer Service Advisor Sharon takes us around our Hadleigh Showroom in Suffolk, highlighting the best fabric colour combinations for creating a cosy home in the cooler months. Sharon’s extensive knowledge is a valuable asset to the team, so we thought it high time to introduce her to you and sprinkle a little of that wisdom into the Style Journal.

Sharon in our Hadleigh Showroom with our new Indigo Cow Parsley Collection

Before we get stuck in to our products, let’s find out a little more about you Sharon. You are a Senior Advisor on our Customer Services team, where you help people to create their dream home in person and over the phone. It’s evident that you have a passion for this, where does this love for interiors come from?

Knowing you can make a big difference and change your whole mood from how your space looks has always fascinated me. I have always loved arts and crafts and grew up with a very talented mother who inspired me to take an interest in anything creative. I went on to complete a degree in interior design, as well as working with brands like Laura Ashley before joining Jim Lawrence.

It’s such a pleasure to help people find their perfect match whether that be a light fitting or homeware accessory, isn’t it? What keeps people coming back to the same brand time and time again?

At Jim Lawrence, we find our customers are looking for high-quality products, timeless designs that are made to last. Also, I know from experience that when purchasing a product, it’s frustrating to try and get hold of someone to ask questions. Here, the team enjoys giving a personalised customer service experience. It’s a pleasure having a cup of coffee with our customers in our showrooms, discussing their exciting projects, looking at pictures of their renovations and chatting all things interiors. Our showrooms have a relaxed atmosphere for customers to take their time and choose their home decor at their leisure, but we’re always here to offer a helping hand when needed. Dogs are welcome too, which is not only convenient for customers but a treat for us!

Let’s talk colour! When it comes to room design, many people have a paint colour in mind before they get started which naturally sets the tone for the whole space. Where should people begin when looking to find a colour that suits their room?

It is good to start off knowing the paint colour you have on your walls and what other fabrics you already have in the room as this will dictate the accessories and window furniture and how bold you can go. I always recommend making a mood board with a few of the colours you already have to see what colours and patterns work well with them. If the room is very much a blank canvas this is a great opportunity to have some fun with colour and create a space that suits your personality.

Pairing Cushions and Lamp Shades in Cow Parsley Cotton and Waterfood Linen in Ochre and Paprika.

We can talk about seasonal trends, but in reality, not everyone has the capability to switch their whole scheme up every few months. How can a room be made to feel like new without a full redesign?

Yes, very much so. This is often a simple and cost-effective solution to give a room a seasonal refresh. You don’t have to do it to every room in your home, but choose one or two where you spend the most time. Choosing light and pastel colours give a summery vibe while switching to richer, deeper tones of ochres and warm browns will cosy up your scheme for the colder months.

In your experience, are some colours more effective than others at livening up the house and making it feel more like home? Would you advise differently, depending on the home itself?

Not every trend will work for every house style/period, but picking a key colour that goes with everything is the place to start. Neutrals suit any style of home and can be complemented with splashes of colour to suit your home’s style. Our Isabelle Linen in Natural can give an instant uplift in mood. Alternatively, pick a colour that makes you smile as you do have to live with it day in day out – so why not!

Have you got any colour combo faux pas that you strictly avoid?

Generally, I avoid any colours that clash and do not mesh well with each other because it is visually jarring. However, often it is just a matter of choosing the right tone. Bright oranges and bright greens don’t look good together but it you change it a burnt orange and dark green then I’m all for it.

Soft Gold Cow Parsley Cotton paired with Waterford Linen in Ochre.

Patterns like chintz florals, gingham check and stripes continue to erupt from the pages of interiors magazines – a place where many of us turn to for inspiration. Do you have any tips for those who want to tentatively approach this bolder style?

Mixing patterns is not for the faint-hearted and can scare most people but done well will really create drama and personality in a room. For those not brave, pick a patterned, a stripe and a plain fabric within the same family of colour. These can then be distributed sensitively around the room perhaps with a patterned wallpaper and plain lampshades, plain curtains and a striped blind with a mix of cushions. Don’t be afraid to mix metal finishes either.

Other than choosing the right tones and texture, what’s a sure way to dial up the cosiness at home as winter draws in?

Keeping the heat in is a must, especially with rising energy costs. Curtains are brilliant at insulating a room from draughts. Make sure they don’t cover your radiators and if they are made of thin fabric or you are considering investing in new ones, it is well worth getting them interlined. Not only does this help keep the warmth in, but it also gives extra body to your curtains helping protect them from fading in the summer months and they are a great noise reducer.

Curtains can also be used to help keep draughty doors at bay. We make portiere rods that are designed to enable curtains to be fitted to the back of the door without getting in the way of the door opening and closing. The curtain can be drawn over the edges of your door and any letter boxes to keep the cold out. Choosing a thick fabric such as a tweed (wool is a great insulator) or velvet will help lock the warmth in.

If we want to fully enjoy the colour in our room, it needs to be properly lit. What’s the best way to maximise your lighting in terms of efficiency and style during the winter?

If you have a dark room, artwork can really lift the space. Illuminating this art with a picture light is a great way to give your lighting scheme a purpose other than lighting up a blank wall. Choose lampshades in linen or cotton for the best lighting as these will allow light to escape through the fabric as well as from the top and bottom. Darker colours or thicker fabrics like tweed and velvet create more focused pools of light that is great for mood lighting.

If you don’t have wall lights, table and floor lamps can bring light to a space for a cosy, ambient feel on a cold evening. Choose light bulbs that dim also helps to create different moods in a room – bringing energy for a family board game but dimmed down for a movie night.

The Brooke Wall Lights in Antiqued Brass paired with our new Indigo Cow Parsley.

Speaking of lighting, are there any particular colours to look for that best complement metal finishes?

I think dusky pinks go beautifully with greys like our Polished finish, while almost anything will go with Matt Black. I particularly like our Isabelle Linen in Black and our new Waterford Linen in Sage with our Matt Black and Beeswax finishes. Likewise, Antiqued Brass is such a versatile finish almost anything goes well with it. I like to contrast the coolness of our Hunstanton velvets in Navy or Teal with the warmth of brass. My all time favourite fabric is Isabelle Linen in Natural as it goes with everything and looks great when the lights are on or off.

A selection of French Drum Candle Shades with a Natura Isabelle Linen Cushion.

Finally, a few quickfire questions…

What’s your favourite Jim Lawrence fabric collection to date?

I’m really excited about the new additions to the Cow Parsley Collection as we are launching a reverse version of the fabrics so that the etched cow parsley motif is in colour on a natural background. I love the new Indigo, a deep dusky blue that is bound to be a firm favourite.

Your favourite place to gather interior inspiration?

Nothing produces better colour combinations than mother nature, from our beautiful natural landscapes to our vibrant birds.

If you had to paint your home in one colour, what would you choose?

I love navy blue as there are so many colour combinations to pick from to go with it – yellows, pinks, oranges and greens to a simple, crisp white. Tikkurila is a brand of paint from Finland that I have used a lot for great coverage.

What is your hero product that we make? Something a customer might not know they need…

My top tip is to use our Flush Mount Ceiling Rose as you can completely change the look and feel of a room depending on the shade you pair it with. I also recommend our metal Ceiling Roses as a quick easy fix to make a room look a lot nicer. Replacing standard white plastic ceiling roses with a lovely metal one transforms a room for very little cost.

What’s the best part about working with Jim Lawrence?

Knowing that our products are made right here in Suffolk and seeing them being crafted from start to finish by such talented people. You can be confident of the quality when you see the care and attention that goes into making them.

MADE BY US, LOVED BY YOU

Do you want to see more? We are very proud of the quality of our workmanship and designs that we feel highlight the skill of our workers and their ability to make products that suit both contemporary and period properties. To view all of our home accessories and lighting visit our website.

For even more home interior ideas, keep up to date by following us on Instagram, Facebook and Pinterest, Don’t forget to tag us in your home updates– we love seeing our products in their new homes.

As much as we love seeing our products styled and in use, we really enjoy seeing customer photos of our packages arriving and products being unwrapped. We all know the feeling of tearing open a parcel or package in anticipation for the goods within (particularly as we near the festive season!), and we truly get as much of a thrill as you do seeing Jim Lawrence lights and accessories in your home.

The events of the past couple of years have given us all more confidence when it comes to shopping online – and though a world of convenience has many merits – we still think it’s vital these products are made the best way they can be. Often, that means by hand and with great care. This means they must be packaged with care too.

As we approach Christmas, what could be more fitting than a tour through our packing and dispatch department? Between the time you click ‘order’ and the sound of your doorbell announcing their arrival, we have a cohort of staff ensuring everything goes smoothly behind the scenes. We caught up with Jane Stace, our Packing and Dispatch Team Lead, to share the goings on during the busiest time of the year in our very own Santa’s workshop…

Welcome to the Style Journal Jane. Who makes up the team in our busy packing department?

First off there is Karen our manager – she’s head of Customer Fulfilment – then there is the packing and dispatch team, me, Kiera, Talia, Nicola, Sharon, Adrian and Richard. It is our job it is to get our customers’ orders ready to send to them.

What do you do in packing and dispatch?

There are two sides to the job. The first is the ‘putting’, where we put all the products that have been made in the workshop and packed into boxes into storage in the warehouse so they can be found later to fulfil a customer’s order.

The second part is ‘picking’ or fulfilling those customers’ orders. When a customer places an order, it is our job to collect all the products in the order from the warehouse and get them ready to be packed into boxes and dispatched for our couriers to deliver.

What does a typical working day look like?

I start at 8am and most of the team are here by 9 and we finish at around 5.30pm. First thing Karen and I will go through the orders and sort out the internationals and get the ‘picks’ (the list of products that are in stock and ready to pack) ready for the team to start collecting.

I then meet with the rest of the team to sort the other jobs that need doing that day. We need someone doing the fabric swatch orders, someone to assemble the curtain pole packs, and someone to send out the brochure requests. We also calculate the cost of international shipping for our customers abroad, sort out orders and contact customers who want to collect their orders from the showroom, and sort out the ‘waiting to go shelf’ for orders that need to be held back for a specific delivery date.

We decide who will be on picking – getting products together for an order – and who’s packing – wrapping products up and packing them into our boxes – so the rest of the day is spent doing that.

After lunch, one of us will go onto dispatch, that is our machine that logs consignment numbers and prints out delivery labels that are stuck onto each box and scanned by the courier when the vans arrive from 2pm onwards.

How many orders/deliveries do you deal with in a day?

We try to dispatch as many orders as we can on the same day the order is made, or the next day at the least, so that our customers get them as quickly as possible. On average, we send out between 200-300 orders a day – that’s 4 fully loaded vans that the courier drives away!

We have many sturdy products, but some truly fragile ones too! How do you handle such a variety of items?

Most products are packed into boxes when they come off the assembly line, so we never see them. All we need to do with our lights for example, is pop a bulb into the box. Of the smaller items we pack, the heavier ironmongery like window stays or curtain pole accessories are the best as they are hardwearing so you don’t worry about them being damaged in transit.

The trickiest things to pack are shades because they are so fragile. They dent very easily in transit, so you have to take a lot of care to get the packing right – just enough room to allow for a little movement – but not so much that they bang around inside the box.

We are all very aware of the need to be as ecological as possible when it comes to reducing waste and using sustainable products, how has this affected packing?

As a company we are constantly reviewing the way we work and the materials we use to see if there is a ‘greener’ way of doing it.  In our department, we always reuse any packaging that it sent back to us via our Returns Department, or from our suppliers. And now, even better, we’ve completely done away with plastic, so all our packaging is made from recycled paper and is reusable.

We have a Tiger Roll machine that produces beehive-style packing paper that wraps tightly around an object, so we use it around all our glass. We no longer use plastic air pillows or bubble wrap to cushion products, instead we use Geami Wrap, a machine that ‘scrunches’ up brown paper to fill out the space in boxes, and we’ve swapped plastic bags for vintage-style paper envelopes to send out small items like curtain rings, screws or fasteners.

What is the best part of working with Jim Lawrence?

I love everything about my job. We’ve got a great team, they’re hard working and fun. We have a laugh. They’re all quite young, so are full of energy, although I do feel like their mum from time to time! I enjoy being on my feet, moving around all day, it keeps me fit and the day goes so fast.

It’s quite a skill to be able to judge the right size box needed for packing up an order, especially when it comes to international orders because you have to calculate the cost of shipping depending on the quantity, size and weight of the boxes. You get a real sense of satisfaction when they’re done, seeing them loaded into the van and travelling to their new homes.

STYLED BY YOU

We simply love seeing where your orders end up. Follow us on Instagram, Twitter, Pinterest and Facebook @JimLawrenceMade and be sure to tag us in your home updates.

JOIN THE TEAM

Working with us means joining an ever-growing family of talented artisan craftsmen and business influencers. Having such a cross section of skills and talents under one roof gives us the chance to offer a fantastically broad range of new challenges throughout our staff, and our exciting career development programmes are tailored to help you grow and make the most of every opportunity within the business.

At the heart of this company we still have a ‘roll your sleeves up and get it done’ mentality that means everyone pitches in and helps no matter what the challenge – there’s no corporate boardrooms here! People tend to stay…we have an amazingly high staff retention rate (averaging 90% annually) which is testament to a genuine belief that our business is only as strong as the links that bind it.

So, if you are looking for an interesting job that challenges and stretches you, in an environment where it’s not unusual to be greeted by a friendly dog (or two) at the door then we are the company for you! We are always keen to hear from new talent, even if your perfect role isn’t currently listed above.

If you would like to apply or request further details on any of the roles, please email us your CV to recruitment@jim-lawrence.co.uk.

All Jim Lawrence metalware starts off in the workshop where it is forged, welded and cleaned ready for finishing. We stock our products in the finishes that we feel suit them best. From traditional antiqued metal effects, to bold contemporary paint colours, our products are available in a fantastic variety of hand crafted finishes to perfectly suit your home’s style.

Our painted options include colours like our Old Gold, Clay, Slate Grey and Matt Black to name a few. These unique-to-us colours are created by painting the items in a powder coating process that creates a smooth, hard-wearing surface which is suitable for both indoor and outdoor use. We use hand-held paint guns to spray every product with powder paint that bonds to the surface electromagnetically. It takes a lot of skill and practice to make sure the colour is sprayed evenly over the surface to produce a uniform tone and colour, and we thought you might like to see a glimpse of the talented team behind the products you take home.

Responsible for running our painting department is team lead Carrie Drake. We caught up with her in the workshop to ask a few questions…

First of all, who makes up the team?

We have a small group of skilled craftsmen who are able to work across different sections of the Jim Lawrence foundry depending on where they are needed most. There’s Gary, Karl, Marcel, Wally and Tim.

What does a typical day look like?

Most of us start early at 7 or 7.30am so we can get prepped for the day. We sort out the paint shop tasks ready for our daily meeting at 9am when we decide on the products been painted that day and chase up any products that have been held up in the workshop.

The paint line is generally in full operation between 10am to 12noon with us doing the majority of spray painting then. The afternoon is then spent quality checking the days’ paint jobs, doing any wet spray painting, cleaning down the equipment and prepping for the next day. Most of the team head home by 3.30pm but I stay later to experiment with new colours and finishes that we may be considering for new products.

You get to work with paint all day, do you have an artistic background?

Art was always my favourite lesson at school and I did a degree in model making and effects, so yes I love working with my hands. I couldn’t imagine doing anything else! After uni I worked in the film industry making sets and props for films and advertising. I worked on Disney’s Beauty and the Beast and The Favourite with Olivia Coleman among a lot of others, but after a good few years I found the long hours, commuting and intense deadlines exhausting. I moved back home to Suffolk to look for a change of direction and found Jim Lawrence.

What do you love most about your job?

I enjoy the calmness of having a routine, of being able to plan my day as I like and of the freedom I get working with the design team to experiment with new colours, finishes and products. I also love wet painting our old gold and old ivory products in particular, as it is a very ‘painterly’ process that involves building up layers of paint and hand touching the embossed details to make them stand out.

What is the most challenging product to work with?

Products with a slate grey finish and/or gloss white interiors are the is the most difficult to paint because they are a gloss finish which is really unforgiving and shows up any kind of mark. They are also incredibly static so draw any specks of dust to them. The paint room has to be spotless before we start painting, and no one is allowed in or out, or else you get dust or pieces of fluff stuck to them!

What is your favourite product?

It has to be the Sussex wall and pendant lights as they are such a beautiful pieces. They really are works of art. They are incredibly tactile, so are wonderful to handle and take the old gold finish so well. The black seeps into all the nooks and crannies so when you overpaint them with the gold it looks amazing, it really shows off the leaves and sheaves of wheat.

How do you enjoy being part of the Jim Lawrence family?

I love the fact that we’re a small company where everyone knows one another and are very approachable. We work hard but are calm and relaxed. People are always respectful of the skills you have and are open to ideas and, unlike the film industry, which was always chaotic, I enjoy having a routine and the freedom to get creative. My brother also works at Jim Lawrence. He’s in the machine shop so we’ll often have lunch together!

You can browse all of our hand forged and finished products on our website. Don’t forget to tag us in your own imagery on Instagram and Facebook – we love seeing our products in their new homes. To learn more about our painted finishes and what might best suit your home style, visit our product finish guide.

JOIN THE TEAM

Working with us means joining an ever-growing family of talented artisan craftsmen and business influencers. Having such a cross section of skills and talents under one roof gives us the chance to offer a fantastically broad range of new challenges throughout our staff, and our exciting career development programmes are tailored to help you grow and make the most of every opportunity within the business.

At the heart of this company we still have a ‘roll your sleeves up and get it done’ mentality that means everyone pitches in and helps no matter what the challenge – there’s no corporate boardrooms here! People tend to stay…we have an amazingly high staff retention rate (averaging 90% annually) which is testament to a genuine belief that our business is only as strong as the links that bind it.

So, if you are looking for an interesting job that challenges and stretches you, in an environment where it’s not unusual to be greeted by a friendly dog (or two) at the door then we are the company for you! We are always keen to hear from new talent, even if your perfect role isn’t currently listed above.

If you would like to apply or request further details on any of the roles, please email us your CV to recruitment@jim-lawrence.co.uk

Ever wondered how we test the stability of our glass shades, or how hardy our chains are? Have you pondered over how we monitor the perfect paint shade and ensure the trustworthiness of our nuts and bolts? We want you to be confident that your lights, sockets, switches and poles are the best they can be. Just as our products are made by hand, they’re checked by hand too. We caught up with Senior QC Engineer Nick Rogers to find out more about how we test and try our products under the meticulous eyes of our Quality Control team.

Firstly, can you tell us who makes up the team, and how you got into this line of work?

I am the Senior QC Engineer, Mark is Head of Engineering Quality, Lorraine and Shane are our QC Technicians and Harry operates as QC Support to check the glass.

Can you explain what the QC team do at Jim Lawrence?

Well, the overall aim of our job is very simple – to reduce the number of Free of Charge (FOC) items we send out to customer to replace faulty or damaged goods and to reduce the amount of scrap that we produce. If we’re successful, our customers are happy as they have better quality products and the company is happy that we’ve saved thousands of pounds worth of scrap.

There two sides to our QC. One is more of a Quality Assurance role where we come up with strategies to make the company more efficient and cost effective by looking at all the manufacturing procedures we do here to see how they can be monitored to find problems earlier on in the making process. Usually, the earlier you catch them, the easier it is to put right and the quicker we can give everyone the ‘heads up’. This way we prevent mistakes and ensure there is consistency. With a bit of training, everyone becomes their own QC team.

The other side of the job is to test our components and products to make sure they meet the required standards. To do this we work with our suppliers, other Jim Lawrence departments and our customers to get feedback, think of workarounds and solve problems.

Talk us through your typical working day.

I honestly don’t think there is such a thing as a typical day, which is one of the things I love about this job. Any plans you have are usually blown out of the water by about 10.30am! In QC you spend a lot of time looking at problems and how you can resolve them. You’re always asking yourself, is there a problem with this? Why? How did it pass QC first time round? What can I do about it? How can I correct it? How can I stop it happening again?

Every morning we have a meeting with our Returns Dept to go through the FOC orders to see why things are being returned and if there is a genuine quality issue that needs looking at. This is often the issue that dictates what we do for the rest of the day. If there is a problem, we may need to remove the product from sale until it is corrected.

Some days we might find that a shipment of components has arrived that we will sample check and find that they don’t meet our standards, so we have to work with the supplier to see if they can be returned or if we can rework them in the workshop. Other days there may be an issue with a piece of machinery that has affected the quality of a product, or a staff absence which has had a random effect. There is always something to keep you on your feet.

What’s the criteria you look at when testing our products?

Everything needs to be checked to make sure it complies UK standards and our own design specifications. First, we use our own judgement to look at products to make sure the finish is right and that it is consistent. Then we use a range of clever measuring devices to sample check products to make sure they have been made to the standard spec. It is up to us to work with the technical team to make sure the specs are up to date and followed by everyone in the company so that we are all working in the same way. The design team will have considered the durability of the product when designing it, so as long as the measurements comply, it’s a good test that it has been made properly.

What happens if products don’t pass QC?

The first thing we do is put them into ‘quarantine’ so they don’t get muddled up with the rest of the stock, while investigations are under way. If it is a component that is wrong, we have to talk to the supplier to resolve the issue and see if we can correct it in-house or send it back. If it is one of our products, we have to consider how many of them are wrong, whether we should send them back to the workshop to be re-worked or whether they will have to be scrapped. We also have to ask ourselves what we can do to stop the same problem happening again. Do we need new or better equipment? More training? Better components? A new design?

When it comes to more fragile items like glass, how do you go about testing a product without deliberately trying to break it? It must be a meticulous task.

Yes, we can’t go around smashing things. We have a special device that uses a magnet to measure the thickness of the neck of the glass, which is important as that is where you unscrew the shade to change the bulb or clean it. We also use Vernier gauges, calipers and micrometres to check other parts of the glass.

A lot of our job roles are hands on here at Jim Lawrence, but it must be really fun to pick apart our products all day. What’s the best part of the role?

I love the fact it is so varied. No two days are the same. I go home every day having learnt something new, so it is constantly challenging. It’s a funny thing, but no matter how much I think I know about our products and the issues that sometime arise, there is always something new! I enjoy working with the engineering and design teams to investigate issues and working out ways we can overcome them and it’s very satisfying when you get good customer feedback having solved a problem for someone.

With all your expertise, what would you say makes our lighting and homeware high quality?

You can see our products have heart and soul, that’s what makes them different from our competitors. They look and feel better because they are handmade. They may not be perfect, but in my book, they are all the better for it. You can see our products have been made with real care and attention. There are not that many places where you can buy something that has been individually hand forged or glass blown. And everyone, not just the makers, but everyone who works here, cares about our products.

Can you recommend some tips for customers when it comes to taking care of their items? For example, getting the most use out of a light.

A lot of thought and attention has gone into making sure the raw materials are as robust as possible. I’d say you should treat your Jim Lawrence product like a fine wine. It will work happily for years in your room with gentle handling and a bit of care and attention – like using warm soapy water to keep it in tip top condition. If you are worried handling a light, make sure there is someone there to help you.

Finally, what’s the best part of working for a family business like Jim Lawrence?

I like the fact that everyone is very approachable, unlike more corporate businesses, and that you really get a sense of working together. Jim Lawrence is special because here you are part of a fairly small but very dedicated team of people who incredibly good at their jobs and are passionate about what they do. They are always prepared to go that extra mile to make sure our customers are happy with the products we make.

You can browse all of our hand forged products on our website and enjoy other stylish customer homes on Instagram. Don’t forget to tag us in your own imagery on Instagram, Twitter and Facebook – we love seeing our products in their new homes. 

Working with us means joining an ever-growing family of talented artisan craftsmen and business influencers. Having such a cross section of skills and talents under one roof gives us the chance to offer a fantastically broad range of new challenges throughout our staff, and our exciting career development programmes are tailored to help you grow and make the most of every opportunity within the business.

At the heart of this company we still have a ‘roll your sleeves up and get it done’ mentality that means everyone pitches in and helps no matter what the challenge – there’s no corporate boardrooms here! People tend to stay…we have an amazingly high staff retention rate (averaging 90% annually) which is testament to a genuine belief that our business is only as strong as the links that bind it.

So, if you are looking for an interesting job that challenges and stretches you, in an environment where it’s not unusual to be greeted by a friendly dog (or two) at the door then we are the company for you! We are always keen to hear from new talent, even if your perfect role isn’t currently listed above.

If you would like to apply or request further details on any of the roles, please email us your CV to recruitment@jim-lawrence.co.uk

In our Suffolk workshop we employ a skilled team of 150 engineers, painters, seamstresses, designers, lampshade makers and technicians alongside a full cohort of support staff. As we unpick the Jim Lawrence family and invite you to see a day in the life of our makers, we want to introduce you to a huge part of our heritage: the welders. This is really where it all began, using traditional metal working techniques here in Suffolk. We chat to our Technical Lead, Lee Saxby about this craft and how we create the lights you love.

Firstly, can you tell us who makes up the team?

There are about 20 welders, aged from 18 to their mid 60s, split into two teams, one working with steel the other with brass as they are different metals that require different types of welding.

Talk us through your typical workday in the workshop.

Our working day is generally 8am to 4.30pm but everyone works different shifts within that. We all have our own benches or workstations where the supervisors will have given us our job sheets for the day so that everyone knows what they are working on and how many they need to make by the end of the day.
A typical job varies between 4-5 hours for a large or complicated light, to one every 5 minutes for a simpler design. We have a tea break at 10.30-10.45, half an hour for lunch any time between 1 & 2pm and finish at around 4.30pm.

How many products do you now make in a day?

It depends which products we are making. As a team we can make 2-300 smaller lights like the Thorpe or Cranfield spotlight in a day, but if we’re working on a new Sussex wall or pendant light, we’ll only produce one a day as they are a more ornate so there’s a lot of welding involved.

Can you describe the key steps of the welding process?

The first thing we do is collect the carcass (component parts) for the product we are making. These will have been picked from the storeroom when a customer’s order comes through and passed on to us. We always make products in batches, regardless of how many orders there are so that we have enough kept in stock.

The first thing we do is clean the raw metal with a shot blaster to get rid of any scale that has built up. Then we use a Tig to weld the joints together to build the three dimensional product. When it is finished, we use a circular grinder to clean up the metalwork, going over the joints and edges to remove any rough bits so that it’s sharp, clean and tidy.
When we’ve done, we’ll put the products on the Quality Control shelf to be inspected. If they pass, they will be given to the finishing teams who will paint, polish or antique the products ready to be wired up. If the products don’t pass QC, we have to take them back and continue working on them until they do.

Like many of our makers at Jim Lawrence, it must be rewarding to be making something creative with your hands – though very hard work! With well over three thousand products available, what is the most challenging Jim Lawrence product to create?

Definitely the Montgomery or Sussex lights (shown below) which can take around 16 hours to make and require experienced welders with specialist skills. They are beautiful designs but incredibly complicated to make. The Large Charlecote Lantern is another example. The tables we make are surprisingly difficult because although they look relatively simple, all the legs and edges need welding and the smallest mistake can be very visible.

As a team, do you ever have any input on the design process?

Yes, the design team are always asking us if it’s possible to make the things they dream up. They need to know what is the best way to make it, what the pitfalls are and if it can be made more efficiently.

Do you get to work on any creative bespoke requests?

Not as many as we used to because as demand has risen and the company has grown, we’ve had to stop a lot of our bespoke work in favour of keeping up with our stocked products. I remember having to make two huge wagon wheel style lights for a converted barn in France a few years ago, and we once had a request to make metal flags and flagpoles for a turret on a country mansion, which was quite a job!

Going from a smaller farm forge and expanding to a location where you’re welding for one of the country’s leading lighting and home furnishings retailers, your roles and responsibilities must have changed. How has this effected the craft?

Well, I’ve been at Jim Lawrence for around 20 years so I’ve seen a lot of changes. Back in the day at Jim’s farm there were only five or six of us making about 20 products a month, whereas now there are 15 or 16 of us making 80-90. A lot of what we do now is about constantly asking ourselves what we can do to make things more efficient so we can get them out quicker. We used to have to do everything whereas now we have machinery to deal with repetitive tasks which is great because it means you can get on with the more fun stuff.

We are very lucky to be able to preserve this traditional way of making, including hand finishing our products. Why do you think people love to know that their products are handmade?

You can tell something is handmade by the quality of it. It just looks and feels different which people really appreciate. To us, when you make products yourself, you put your heart into it because you are doing what you love and you want it to be the best example of your work, so it shows in the finished result. It doesn’t matter if it’s a door hook or a glass pendant light, you want people to love it and they generally do.

Finally, many of our employees have been here long term, including most of you! What’s the best part of working for a family business like Jim Lawrence?

To me it’s because it’s personal. I’ve worked with a lot of the team for years so we’ve become good friends and have a great understanding of the pressures of the job. Jim used to work with us in the workshop and he and Sheena are still very hands on and come down all the time. Our managers also worked alongside us once, so you build up good relationships and new people find it easy to fit in.

You can browse all of our hand forged products on our website and enjoy other stylish customer homes on Instagram. Don’t forget to tag us in your own imagery on Instagram, Twitter and Facebook – we love seeing our products in their new homes. 

Did you know you can visit our Suffolk workshop? Our showroom and workshops are located here: Jim Lawrence Traditional Ironworks, The Ironworks, Lady Lane, Hadleigh, Suffolk, IP7 6BQ. Anyone is welcome to enjoy and shop the showroom, but please contact us in advance should you want a group tour of the workshops and warehouses: we are very open to showing you where your products are made, but do require some notice.

Naturally we like to showcase the finished product as a brand, but what about what goes on behind the scenes? Because, if we’re honest… a great amount does! We’ve met several makers on the blog, but think it’s high time we introduce our own. We want to start with our talented Soft Furnishings team who make your Jim Lawrence lampshades in our Suffolk workshop.

All Jim Lawrence lampshades that you see online are individually handmade, including any ready made designs and made to order styles. This means every one that we lovingly send out to you is that bit more personal, which is why we want to introduce you to the lovely people behind them. We catch up with Supervisor Julie to ask a few questions…

Firstly, can you tell us who makes up the team?

I’m Julie, the one who manages the team, checks stock in and out and allocates the production orders as well as helping the others to make whatever soft furnishings are required. We have Shaun, who is based in the workshop, and makes all our wire frames. There’s Tony who cuts out and laminates the card panels we use for our different stocked shade shapes. Emma, Charlene, Vikkie and Jackie are our shade makers and Gill and Vonny who make our curtains, blinds and cushions as well as shades.

What does a typical work day look like in the soft furnishings department?

I’m generally in at 7.30 with the rest of the team starting at 8.30. I’ll have a daily production meeting where we prioritise the day’s jobs with any urgent orders first and the Made to Order and standard stocked items to follow. The team will come in and pick up their production order sheets and start making their shades straight away.

How many shades do you make a week?

On average I’d say about 300 to 500. When I first started working at Jim Lawrence it was a lot less because we used to have to do every single stage by hand, from measuring out and cutting the wire frame to cutting and laminating the card, whereas now we have machines to help us.

In an age where many of us are sat behind computer screens, it must be rewarding to be making something creative with your hands. Do you all have a background in sewing and crafting?

Funnily enough, with the exception of Vonny who has worked as a seamstress previously, and Tony who had his own lampshade business, none of us have a background in sewing and crafting, although we all enjoyed doing a bit as a past time. I like crafting things, Gill used to make her children’s clothes, Charlene customises a lot of her clothes and Becca made her own curtains.

Jim was one of Tony’s customers and loved his shades so much that when there was an opportunity Jim bought the business and Tony came with it! I was a self-employed landscape gardener before I came to Jim Lawrence, Gill and Vonny were dinner ladies, June worked in catering and then stone carving while Emma was a playground assistant.

Do you notice certain trends coming through with the soft furnishings orders? What is the most popular style you tend to make?

Candle shades are always the most popular because you generally need a few of them for your wall lights. The run up to Christmas is our busiest time of year for all shades, but particularly for candles. We notice trends in fabric more. Soft furnishing fashions usually follow trends in paint colours so neutrals have been popular for ages, along with grey and plain fabrics. Our tweeds and velvet’s are more popular in winter with lighter linens and cotton coming into their own during the summer. As for prints, our Honey Bees fabric is popular at the moment, along with our other Ratty Golightly country collection.

With over a thousand shade and fabric combinations available, what is your favourite Jim Lawrence material to work with?

I love the Hunstanton velvets as they are a beautiful fabric to work with, not only because they are so nice to handle but because they also cut and glue well. They make amazing shades. I also like our Featherdown because it is basically a neutral but with soft, subtle colours that look particularly good on a shade or cushion.

Other than lampshades, what bespoke soft furnishing orders come through your department?

We don’t make as many bespoke soft furnishings as we used to because of time constraints, but I remember one order we had to make a shade out of horsehair! We also had a request for a shade using antique napkins with initials on and once had a large order for waterproof, canvas shades for a house in Barbados that were shipped over on a private jet. We’ve also made shades for the Duchy of Cornwall and Clarence House among some of our more famous clients.

Finally, many of our employees have been here long term, including most of you! What’s the best part of working for a family business like Jim Lawrence?

We love the fact that we work in relatively small teams at Jim Lawrence so it is easy to settle in and get to know everyone. Because most of us have worked here a long time. We’re good friends as well as colleagues and know what we need to do every day with very little direction which means we work productively in a relaxed, easy atmosphere. Our workspace is also fantastic, really light, bright and airy – even in winter – which makes it a pleasure to come to work. Also, Jim allows us to bring our dogs in, as long as they are well behaved, which is a huge bonus!

You can browse all the gorgeous Jim Lawrence lampshades Julie and the team make, as well as a wealth of sumptuous fabrics for curtains and blinds on our website or in our Suffolk and Bath Showrooms.

Don’t forget to tag us in your interior updates on Instagram, Twitter and Facebook – we love seeing our products in their new homes.

Emma and Camilla are a styling duo who operate under the name Interior Facelift. Far from surgical, their Instagram is bursting with classically romantic décor and tumbling foliage aplenty. Featuring Jim Lawrence lights in Camilla’s own home, we were stunned by their skill in creating atmosphere and individuality to a space. With an aptitude for sourcing unique pieces and a self-professed skill for ‘decluttering and reorganising’ we wanted to learn more about their business and the rooms they transform.

Photographer: Fiona Murray

Camilla’s stunning city home was recently featured in a beautiful article for 25 Beautiful Homes Magazine. Was the styling of your home Interior Facelift’s first project together?

No, our first project together was an Edwardian house in London – the owners had used a developer and an interior designer to update their house but they couldn’t make the sitting room feel cosy and so called us in to add style and individuality.

On your website you talk about how ‘breathing new life’ into a home through styling can be just as effective as starting the whole decoration process from scratch. What is the best starting place for a client when they want to refresh their home?

To work out how they would like to use the room, what they would like to keep in it, (if anything) and what they would like to change. for example, we are currently doing a job in which the client has a wonderful painting above the fireplace which is very special to them so we are designing colours around it and eclectic pieces from our treasure trove of reclaimed goodies to bring the room together.

What would you say is the most transformative step in restyling?

For us, the way to add the greatest impact when restyling is to add a few key features in a room, such as panelling as well as a couple of interesting pieces, perhaps an oversized mirror or some reclaimed doors that then make the room come alive.

What is your top tip for lighting a room?

We would say lighting is one of the most dramatic ways of adding impact and creating an atmosphere in a room. Layering is how we add interest with light, from overhead pendants to wall lights to table lamps.

Where does your flair for design come from?

For Emma life has always been about being visual – she trained as an artist , so colours and attention to detail have been second nature to her for more years than she might care to remember. I (Camilla) lived in Italy for several years, where style and design go hand in hand in effortless fashion.

With a wealth of inspiration on platforms like Instagram, sometimes it seems like a lot of houses can end up looking the same and filled with similar things. How do you tap into adding your own personality into a home?

We are both opposed to the ‘developers look’ where rooms can look bland and lack individuality. Instead, for us it is about layering different textures, making pieces work against each other and mixing reclaimed with new to add interest. The most wonderful part of our job is that we can combine our experience and flair with the client’s personality to make their home truly original.

Which has been the most enjoyable project to design?

Probably our most enjoyable project to date has been a house which just needed styling as opposed to building work; we were given free reign to style shelves, consoles, wall art etc – our idea of heaven.

Which has been the most challenging?

We have had one job where the client kept changing their mind with regards to what they wanted – a few mood boards later we got there!

Can you tell us about your dream project?

A project that allows us to use lots of reclaimed features and interesting styling. We are most excited when we can explore our ‘ inside-out’ philosophy….crafting out door spaces so that they flow from the indoor rooms and reflect each other by strategically positioned mirrors and of course magical lighting.

Last but not least, what’s in store next for Interior Facelift?

We are really excited about doing a project in Mallorca – we are planning to use a lot of natural wood and stone with limed walls, rattan pendants and some stunning Jim Lawrence outdoor wall lights. We have already discovered some dusty reclamation yards waiting for our attention!

We can’t wait to see this Mallorca project, it sounds divine… Follow Camilla and Emma on Instagram at @Interiorfacelift, and see more of their work on their website.