The Environment


All our work is informed by our concern of creating furniture and interiors that are durable, healthy and have a low environmental impact as we consider the wider ecology most important for the future. We aim to create furniture, interiors and buildings that are in harmony with both people and nature.

Our designs reflect the inherent nature of materials and are free of any applied styling or ornaments and are therefore durable and of a timeless quality.

For architectural and interior projects we seek to specify natural and low impact materials and fittings, and we design aiming at energy efficiency standards that go beyond the current legislation. In our furniture workshop we set ourselves rules for materials and finishes we are using and how we aim to keep the environmental impact of our work and products as low as possible.

 

Materials, design and manufacturing


Tandem seek to create durable high quality furniture that has a low environmental impact. We believe that sustainability is the premise for acting and working responsibly. In our workshop we therefore set ourselves rules regarding the design, manufacturing and the materials we use and promote with our designs.

• We source our timber from FSC certified, and, if not available, PEFC certified sources.

• We do not use or specify tropical hardwoods.

• We use timbers from the UK and Europe and give preference to sources that are located close to us.

• We use timber mills, suppliers and other trades that are as local as possible.

• For finishes we use oils and lacquers from Osmo, which are virtually solvent free and contain organic ingredients such as linseed oil, candelilla wax and thistle oil.

• We use generally natural, sustainable and sustainably sourced materials where possible.
 
• We try to optimise our designs to avoid waste and excess use of materials. Some of our products have been developed using solid wood off-cuts, and are designed to include natural variations in the material, such as knots or distinctive grain colour.

• Our designs reflect the inherent nature of materials and are free of any applied styling or ornaments. We aim to create designs that are durable and of a timeless quality.

• We do not aspire to subcontract or manufacture any of our furniture abroad.