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British Designer Tom Raffield Is Steam Bending His Way to Success

                                <em>In the first of a new monthly series of profiles of designers based in the UK and Europe, our Editor at Large <a href="http://design-milk.com/author/katie/" data-wpel-link="internal">Katie Treggiden</a> talks to steam bender extraordinaire Tom Raffield.</em>
                                                <a href="http://design-milk.com/british-designer-tom-raffield-steam-bending-way-success/design_milk_tom_raffield_04/" data-wpel-link="internal"><img src="http://0.design-milk.com/images/2017/04/Design_Milk_Tom_Raffield_04-810x810.jpg" alt="British Designer Tom Raffield Is Steam Bending His Way to Success" /></a>
                                It’s hard to know where to start a profile of British furniture designer <a href="http://www.tomraffield.com/"  rel="noopener noreferrer external" data-wpel-link="external">Tom Raffield</a>. Based in Cornwall, the far southwesterly tip of the UK, he invented a new technique for steam bending wood while still at university and has built a business around the complex forms it enables him to create. Not content with making furniture and lighting, he and wife Danielle have recently built a family home, entirely clad with steam-bent wood, so impressive that it was featured on <a href="http://www.channel4.com/programmes/grand-designs"  rel="noopener noreferrer external" data-wpel-link="external">Channel 4’s Grand Designs</a> and was described by presenter Kevin McCloud as “Tom’s masterpiece; the summation of his life’s work.”
He has invested in his local community, working with Cornish craftsmen and training apprentices from the local
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Milan Design Week 2017: Everything Is Connected

                                                <a href="http://design-milk.com/milan-design-week-2017-everything-connected/design_milk_norwegians_12/" data-wpel-link="internal"><img src="http://0.design-milk.com/images/2017/04/Design_Milk_Norwegians_12-810x810.jpg" alt="Milan Design Week 2017: Everything Is Connected" /></a>
                                The showcase of Norwegian craft and design is always a highlight of the Ventura Lambrate design district during Salone del Mobile. The team behind 2016’s exhibition, Structure, comprised <a href="http://klbbn.no/" data-wpel-link="external"  rel="external noopener noreferrer">Klubben</a>, <a href="https://doga.no/" data-wpel-link="external"  rel="external noopener noreferrer">DOGA</a>, <a href="http://www.norwegiancrafts.no/"  rel="noopener noreferrer external" data-wpel-link="external">Norwegian Crafts</a> and <a href="http://www.jotun.com/"  rel="noopener noreferrer external" data-wpel-link="external">Jotun</a>, and they have come together again to create Everything Is Connected, curated by designer and interior architect <a href="http://www.studiogreiling.com/" data-wpel-link="external"  rel="external noopener noreferrer">Katrin Greiling</a>, and designed by Norwegian-Italian studio <a href="http://www.krakvikdorazio.no/" data-wpel-link="external"  rel="external noopener noreferrer">Kråkvik & D’Orazio</a>. (Nomad, above, is by <a href="http://www.gillesandcecilie.com/" data-wpel-link="external"  rel="external noopener noreferrer">Gilles & Cecilie</a>.)
The Dwell bench, by Bergen-based Vera & Kyte, is inspired by the symmetry, simplicity and order of Shaker design, expressed through a contemporary lacquered wood construction. Sara Wright Polmar created these shelf-drawer hybrids in which to display and store small objects by playing with the scale of a classic matchbox. Each Matchbox comprises a stained ash box with a folded steel sleeve. Norwegian Notes is a collection of perfumed objects created by Oslo-based Kaja Dahl for use
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