.wireworks london

brand | story

At Wireworks we don't just design a product, we create the whole experience, hands-on end to end. There's a craft element in everything we do - from the person shaping and forming each piece during production to how it feels when you use it. Founded in London in 1988, our first designs were made from wire. All products are designed by Lincoln Rivers and we manufacture from sustainable FSC and SFI sourced hardwoods. We also work in bamboo from the Anji mountains in China. We are SMETA approved (Ethical Audit) and our warehouse is covered with solar panels.

You'll find us in many places and spaces. On a hotel room dressing table or at the bar in a restaurant. We might be the cabinet on your bathroom wall, the coffee table in front of your sofa or a pepper grinder on your dining table. Wireworks for Bath, Living and Kitchen is stocked by retailers internationally. We also work with own brands, hotels, architects and specifiers.

We minimise our environmental impact by sourcing fsc timber from sustainably managed forests. 

product | quality control

My name is Lincoln Rivers and when I design a product I consider carefully not just the overall appearance and functionality of the product but also the details: edges, corners, the surface finish, whether it's lacquer, wax or paint and then how matt or shiny it should be. Once it's right, we measure and record these details.

For matt and shiny we have an electric meter. If the 'mattness' when measured is not between three and nine percent, it gets relacquered. For wood corners we have four measurements of 'roundedness'. If the corner is not an A or B then it gets rejected. Not all things are easily measured especially when using a natural material like wood. Each piece is different: in colour, grain character and natural wood features. It's this individuality and 'naturalness' that we like. We expect variation and these are viewed as qualities not faults.

factory | visit

One of the most exciting aspects of my work as a designer is visiting our factory. This is where my design dreams, the filled books of sketches and the 3D card models become real.

Upon arrival there's a warm welcome. I'm lead to a meeting office with over plummeted sofas, cups of green tea, cigarettes are always offered and more tea.

Conversation is animated Cantonese. There's an empowering sense of 'can do', a positivity and desire to find solutions.

Then we go to the wood shop. The air is filled with the aroma of oak and the hum and buzz of saws and sanders.

The carpenters are absorbed in their practice. Planers and bandsaws prepare wood sections. Boards are cut, routed and drilled with precision. Components are clamped, glued and assembled before sanding by hand for final lacquering and painting.

These crafts people, the carpenters, painters, assemblers and finishers are all specialists, men and women. 

There's a calm sense of purpose, a shared goal: to offer beautiful well crafted everyday objects that will bring pleasure from the time of purchase until a time far off in the future.

brand | service

At Wireworks we love to hear from our clients. We try to be responsive and flexible, to answer queries where we can and look for answers when we can't.

product | testing

All wood bath products are designed for a domestic bathroom environment and comply with FS48. The product is put in a room, heated to 25 degrees and left for 4 weeks at 85% humidity. It is then removed, closely inspected and will only pass if there are no signs of deterioration.

We test wall mirrors, towel rails and caddies to BSEN 1479:2005. This assesses their suitability for use in a domestic environment.

In a less formal way we use the products in our own homes everyday. Grinders in the kitchen, tables next to the sofa and caddies in the bathroom.

product | bespoke

As well as the Wireworks range, we also design and produce bespoke designs. We collaborate with leading international hotel groups, design-led retailers, architects and specifiers. If you have a special requirement for 100+ pieces for a design that you think we can manufacture, then please contact us. For further information see the 'Contract' section of our website.

material | oak

The majority of our wood comes from America. We try to minimise our environmental impact by sourcing fsc timber from sustainably managed forests. As designers and manufacturers of timber products; materials, design, construction and quality all share equal importance. Click here  for more information about our wood sources.

material | bamboo

Our bamboo is sourced and engineered in the Anji mountains of China. I've visited the forests to see it being cut, split, dried, and made into boards. All this happens within a few miles of where the bamboo grows. Once harvested, bamboo doesn't need re-planting, it sprouts from the living roots and re-grows to maturity in just 4 years! - for sustainability this ticks every box.