Q&A with Camira
Ahead of Clerkenwell Design Week, we sat down with Lynn Kingdon, Camira's Head of Marketing for a quick-fire Q&A exploring the story behind Monochrome Sett and our longstanding partnership with this pioneering textiles brand.
What drew Camira to collaborate with Isomi on the Tejo lounge? The term “like-minded” springs to mind—both in principle and aesthetic. The Tejo lounge embodies good design: visually striking, crafted from sustainable raw materials, and designed with circularity in mind. These values align perfectly with Camira’s mission to embed sustainability into every new collection, making it an integral part of our design development process.
Can you tell us more about the Monochrome collection—what inspired it, and what makes it unique? Monochrome Sett is a carefully curated collection of mini patterns, characterised by a stylish monochromatic colour palette, which is colour woven from a blend of pure new wool and renewable flax. Inspired by catwalk designs and tailoring, Monochrome Sett embraces the timeless elegance and sophistication of colour restraint. With 12 contemporary patterns in two monochromatic colours, the collection offers 24 unique design options, ranging from pinstripes to checks, and houndstooth to tweeds. Certified to the EU Ecolabel and Indoor Advantage Gold, this fabric is ideal for hospitality, residential and workplace settings, for upholstery, panels, and curtains.
Camira is known for its commitment to sustainability—how does the Monochrome collection align with that ethos? The Monochrome Sett collection is a perfect reflection of Camira’s sustainability ethos. It’s crafted from a blend of rapidly renewable wool and flax, both of which are natural fibres. Camira has long been a pioneer in using bast fibres, such as nettle, hemp and flax. Flax, used in Monochrome Sett, is strong, flexible, and elastic—ideal for creating durable, high-performance fabrics. Flax itself has deep historical roots as one of the oldest cultivated plants used for textiles, offering a resilient, silky fibre that is both beautiful and functional. What sets Monochrome Sett apart is its natural flame retardancy, meeting Medium Hazard (Crib 5) standard without any added chemicals. This is due to the unique properties of the wool and bast fibre blend, which forms a strong char when exposed to flame, creating a natural barrier.
Camira is proudly based in the North of England, a region with a rich textile heritage. How does that history influence your work today? Being based in the North of England deeply shapes who we are at Camira. This region is steeped in textile history—once the heart of the Industrial Revolution and home to generations of skilled weavers, spinners, and innovators. That legacy is woven into everything we do, from our craftsmanship to our commitment to quality and sustainability. We’re incredibly proud to carry on that tradition, blending time-honoured techniques with cutting-edge innovation to create fabrics that are both beautiful and responsible. In many ways, the heritage of Northern England isn’t just our backdrop—it’s our foundation. It’s what drives our passion for textiles and fuels our ongoing mission to lead with integrity, creativity, and respect for both people and the planet.
What are some of the biggest challenges currently facing textile manufacturers in the UK? UK textile manufacturers are facing several major challenges, including rising energy and raw material costs, and ongoing supply chain disruptions. There’s also a shortage of skilled workers - All of this is happening against a backdrop of economic uncertainty, making it a tough time for the textile industry. However, these challenges are also driving significant transformation within the sector. The industry is increasingly adopting new technologies, sustainable practices, and innovative design solutions to meet changing demands. By embracing these opportunities, UK textile manufacturers are not only overcoming obstacles but also positioning themselves for a more resilient, forward-thinking, and sustainable future.
Meet the Makers Series
So much thought and consideration goes into everything we make, at every stage of the process, and by every member of the team.
In a quick fire Q & A we’d like to introduce you to some of the makers behind the brand who turn our designs into beautiful products that are made to last.
Meet our maker - Paul Walker, Bench Hand Joiner
1. What is your role at Isomi, and how long have you been part of the team? I'm a Solid Surface fabricator, and I’ve been part of the Isomi family for more than 10 years.
2. How did you first hear about Isomi, and what comes to mind when you think of the brand? I first heard about Isomi 11 years ago over a pint with Nick—a fitting start to a journey in craftsmanship! When I think of Isomi, I immediately think of reception desks that set the standard for quality.
3. Tell us a little about your role and the skills it requires. I specialise in fabricating solid surfaces, particularly the intricate, bespoke pieces that demand precision, and a very good eye for detail. A deep understanding of assembly processes is crucial—every cut, curve, and joint has to be flawless.
4. What or who inspired you to get involved in design and craftsmanship? From a young age, I spent weekends helping my dad on his projects. Watching him work sparked my passion for joinery—and that hands-on experience has stuck with me ever since.
5. When it comes to craftsmanship, what do you admire most about Isomi? The design innovation, the variety of projects, and the consistently high standards—every piece is crafted with precision, and that’s something I take real pride in being part of.
6. What’s your favourite piece of Isomi furniture and why? Definitely the Kin range! It’s a real challenge to make, but that’s exactly why I love it. There’s nothing more satisfying than finishing a complex build and seeing it come together perfectly.
7. Which material excites you the most to work with and why? Solid surface. I’ve been working with it for over 27 years. It’s incredibly versatile, and the possibilities for shaping and crafting it are endless.
8. What’s the simplest way to reduce waste in manufacturing? One rule: measure twice, cut once. It’s a simple mindset, but it makes a huge difference in minimising waste and maximising efficiency.
Isomi Launches Tejo at CDW
Reconfigurable, recyclable, renewable
Isomi debuts Tejo modular sofa system, constructed form cork
Sustainably made by recycling cork waste from the production of wine stoppers,
Isomi’s recyclable Tejo sofa system offers elegance, comfort and versatility; helps
preserve Portugal’s cork forests; and marks a major step towards the circular
economy.
Recycled, recyclable and renewable.
Isomi debuts Tejo modular sofa system at Clerkenwell Design Week attracting attention from the like of
Dezeen,
Wallpaper* and Earth Folk for its revolutionary sustainable design.
Sustainably made by recycling cork waste from the production of wine stoppers, Isomi’s recyclable Tejo sofa system offers elegance, comfort and versatility; helps preserve Portugal’s cork forests; and marks a major step towards the circular economy.
‘‘We were looking to try and find materials that were as natural as possible. So
removing plywood frame we’ve replaced with cork and foam with natural latex. The fabric is natural wool and hemp. Frame, fabric, even the castors: everything about Tejo is based on natural material.”
– Paul Crofts, design director, Isomi
NeoCon 2024
This year for the first time, Isomi will launch three new products and open a showroom at this year’s NeoCon event in Chicago running from 10 - 12 June.
We have created three new product ranges which have sustainability and wellbeing at the heart of their design.
With design director Paul Crofts central to the development processes, Isomi will launch their sustainable cork sofa Tejo in the US, alongside a flexible modular desk system Layer and an eye-catching new chair MOODLight which combines high-quality design with health benefits aimed at alleviating the damaging effects of Seasonal Affective Disorder (SAD).
All three products will be available to view for the first time in Isomi’s 1,000 square feet showroom in Chicago, newly opened to coincide with NeoCon, a renowned launchpad for innovation which has served as one of the world’s leading platforms for the commercial design industry since 1969.
Join Collection Named Mixology23 Finalist
We're excited to announce that Join Collection in wood has been named a Product of the Year Finalist in Mixology Awards.
Expanding the Isomi product portfolio of desks, tables, walls, seating and storage, our popular Join furniture family comprises a desk and table designed by Isomi’s co-founder and design director Paul Crofts.
Like all Isomi products, the Join pieces can be customised in various sizes, heights and finishes to suit different environments – from grand corporate lobbies and hotel reception areas to small offices and boutique retail spaces.
Layer Awarded Best of NeoCon
Isomi wins a second award for Best of NeoCon!
Layer Desk was awarded Gold in the category Furniture Systems and was a finalist down to the final 5 for Best in Competition out of 294 entries.
Launching for the first time at NeoCon, Layer has been recognised by the judges for its innovative mix and match design.
Layer is an endlessly flexible modular desk system, designed for longevity, replaceability and material variety.
Clip-on panels can easily be fixed into place, creating a versatile frame that can house drawers, cupboards and other functional elements. This can then can be dressed with a wide range of materials, creating near endless possibilities for aesthetic expression.
Its modular design allows for the easy replacement of panels, enabling users to update the desk's aesthetics with new materials. This eliminates the need to purchase a completely new desk for a refresh. Panels are built for easy disassembly, allowing for end-of-life recycling or material reuse.
Product Design Consultant Gensler.
Join in Wood wins Design Week Awards 2023
We are thrilled to announce that our Join in Wood collection has won the award for the category Product & Lighting Design 2023 at the Design Week Awards.
Designed by Isomi co-founder Paul Crofts, Join in Wood seamlessly combines linear machined timber with soft curves. Join in wood is recognisably Isomi in aesthetic: free-flowing in form, sinuously curved, and unmistakably contemporary in style.
Join family seamlessly combines linear machined timber with soft curves. Subtle shadows created by the chamfered edge profile add visual depth, highlighting and celebrating the natural variations of the oak, ash and walnut profiles. FSC certified wood was selected for the material pairing not only for its aesthetic value but its natural strength and durability.
The newest piece in Isomi’s new Join collection is a versatile lectern and greeter stand. Addressing the need for spatial flexibility, the range has been designed with void space to allow easy access to floorplates for power, allowing multiple placements.
The judges said: “Would catch attention in any lobby. Looks really inviting through its soft corners, playful lines and juxtaposition of warm and soft materials.”
Tejo Awarded Best of NeoCon
Tejo's dedication to sustainability has been recognised with a prestigious Sustainability Award at Best of NeoCon 2024!
The award acknowledges Tejo's commitment to using renewable, recycled and sustainable materials.
A sofa system providing almost unlimited options, Tejo offers the freedom to either challenge or adhere to all types of spaces. Tejo comprises three distinct main elements, each with a different depth: a bench, sofa with a back and a back-to-back sofa. Each material used in the construction of Tejo is harvested from nature. Choosing cork, natural latex and wool and hemp fabrics, Tejo is built almost entirely from the ground up.
Isomi Launch Frame
After more than a decade, we’re finally going to the bathroom. We’re excited to announce the launch of
Frame, our new modular sink system in solid surface – a bold new chapter for Isomi. Modern, elegant and minimalist,
Frame is designed to be every bit as versatile and adaptable as our reception products, offering clients the same ease of specification.
Frame can be customised to different profiles and dimensions, be positioned along walls or in island units, and fitted with a huge array of integrated accessories, including waste bins, backsplash, mirrors and shelves. Taps can be mounted on the wall or in an integrated deck, and additional materials can be used to ‘frame’ the sink module, hence the name.
Highly durable and easily contoured to maximise hygiene and drainage, solid surface has proven an ideal material for washroom settings. We’re pleased to be able to offer
Frame in a variety of colours, including concrete and terrazzo look finishes, which makes Frame as aesthetically versatile as it is practical.
Isomi Celebrates 10 Years!
Isomi Celebrates 10 Years of Innovation in Modular Furniture!
The team will be holding birthday celebrations next month; raising a glass to toast a successful 10 years and looking ahead to our most exciting year to come.
What began as a coffee shop discussion between our three Co-founders who wanted to revolutionize the furniture industry has grown into a global success story. Today, the elegantly contoured Mono desk collection in solid surface continues to be a beloved choice among clients, exporting our products to customers around the world from our headquarters and manufacturing facility in the North West of England.
As we enter the next decade, the plan is to expand reach even further and continue our program of innovation into new product lines and materials. Our ongoing investment in state-of-the-art machinery annually has helped us maintain our competitive pricing while ensuring quality remains uncompromised.
“Reaching this significant milestone has prompted us to look back on our journey and appreciate the successes, challenges, and relationships we've formed along the way. Through it all, our team has been the driving force behind our accomplishments. Their unwavering commitment, innovative ideas, and hard work have been instrumental in shaping our company and propelling us forward."
- Nick Welsh, Co-Founder
Stack Awarded Design Guild Mark
We're delighted to announce that Stack from the Assembled Collection has been awarded a Design Guild Mark.
Configured from a selection of modules the collection is designed with the potential to be viewed at 360 degrees, allowing the pieces to be positioned mid-floor, as well as against a wall or partition.
With a refined and timeless aesthetic, the concept for Stack was to develop a modular storage system that could be specified from a series of components, offering maximum flexibility. A minimalist U-shaped timber form can simply be stacked on top of each other to form shelving, storage and display functions. Stack is designed to be viewed at 360 degrees so display and storage modules can be used from either side.
Chamfer Awarded Design Guild Mark
We're delighted to announce that Chamfer from the Assembled Collection has been awarded a Design Guild Mark.
Configured from a selection of modules the collection is designed with the potential to be viewed at 360 degrees, allowing the pieces to be positioned mid-floor, as well as against a wall or partition.
Featuring a frame and doors in hand-selected hot rolled steel, each piece of metal is folded into the interior of the module creating a smooth visual transition. With legs cast in stain-resistant lightweight concrete, Chamfer benefits from a highly considered design which includes a chamfer detail and a shadow gap between the modules.
Umi Wins Archiproducts Award
We're pleased to announce Umi has been named as an Archiproducts Design Awards winner in the contract furniture category!
The minimalist design pairs soft curves with tapered detailing, drawing users towards the piece without requiring a large footprint. With no predetermined orientation, and available with castors, Umi can be freely positioned and placed to suit the requirements of changing environments.
Umi by Isomi
Umi continues Isomi's venture into smaller pieces designed to be viewed at 360 degrees.
Available with castors, Umi provides a flexible interaction point for dynamic spaces.
Produced in solid surface with the option of an oak worktop and cupboard, all functional aspects of the piece are hidden within the design allowing it to be placed centrally within a space.
Placed as an individual piece or arranged in a series, Umi sits comfortably in any contemporary setting.
Chamfer Longlisted for Archiproducts Award
We're very pleased to announce that out of 700 nominees, Chamfer, has been longlisted for the Archiproducts Design Awards 2019.
A modular storage piece with concrete legs and clad in hot rolled steel, the natural veining of the material ensures each configuration is unique.
Part of the interchangeable, modular Assembled collection, Chamfer takes its inspiration from brutalism and has both storage and display capabilities with perforated hot rolled steel mesh available as an optional infill to create a transparent backdrop to the storage modules.
Isomi shortlisted for FX Award
Metal Wall Panel has recently been announced as a finalist in the Surfaces category of the FX Awards.
Designed by Paul Crofts, this modular system of wall panels in hand-selected hot rolled steel represents the successful application of a raw, unfinished industrial material in precise, minimal forms.
The final appearance of each configuration is carefully considered throughout the production process, as each of the hot rolled steel sheets is personally selected for its individual components, ensuring the continuation of the rich colour veins.
With no width or height limitations, Metal Wall Panel is available as a continuous surface or with the option of integrated shelving and offers new possibilities for interior cladding and decorative wall panels.
Isomi shortlisted for Blueprint Award
We’re proud to announce that Chamfer has been shortlisted for the Best Product Design category of the Blueprint Awards 2019.
Part of the highly flexible Assembled collection of storage and display solutions, Chamfer takes inspiration from brutalism and an industrial aesthetic, with refined detailing and material selection. Produced in hot rolled steel, the finished appearance of each modular configuration of Chamfer is meticulously considered. Each piece of metal is carefully hand-selected for its individual components, ensuring the continuation of the signature rich colour veins of hot rolled steel when assembled.
Isomi at Clerkenwell Design Week
Our showroom is open for the duration of Clerkenwell Design Week, we invite you to discover our growing range of modular reception desks, storage solutions and seating from designer Paul Crofts.
Classic Isomi collections will be on display all week, including our iconic solid surface desks Mono and Fold, the Assembled storage family, and a new iteration of the endlessly configurable Mono seating, upholstered in coral fabric.
Assembled by Isomi finalist in Mixology South Awards
The Assembled collection has recently been announced as a finalist in the Product of the Year - Storage category of Mixology South Awards. Designed by Paul Crofts, Assembled complements our existing product range providing a series of storage solutions, creating a holistic offering for workplace furniture.
The collection has been designed with the potential to be viewed at 360 degrees, allowing the pieces to be positioned mid-floor, as well as against a wall or partition.
With display modules available throughout the collection, the applications of each piece is virtually unlimited.
Wishing you a Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year from all of us at Isomi
'Mix Merit' at Mixology North 2018
Isomi Outline Table in Solid Surface recognised with a 'Mix Merit' at Mixology North 2018. Designed by our Co-founder and Design Director Paul Crofts. Well done team and congratulations to all winners!
Assembled by Isomi at Clerkenwell Design Week
Isomi will be celebrating Clerkenwell Design Week at our showroom at 1 Sans Walk, where we’ll be unveiling our brand new collection of modular storage systems designed by Paul Crofts
Assembled by Isomi is an innovative collection of highly flexible storage and display solutions which have been designed to complement Isomi’s existing range of award-winning modular furniture solutions in metal, concrete and solid surface.
We look forward to welcoming you at our relaxed Paul Crofts-designed showroom, with intelligent and functional design to inform and inspire.
Isomi – The Story So Far
Our approach to producing modular furniture is rooted in an unstinting commitment to quality in design, materials and production. We are delighted to present a new film by filmmaker Andrew Telling called Isomi – The Story So Far, in which design director Paul Crofts outlines his creative vision for Isomi, and co-founders Jenny Davies and Nick Welsh explain the brand's unique approach.
Isomi in Metal Wins a Design Week Award
Our first-ever collection in metal has won a Design Week Award in the Furniture Design category! Designed by Paul Crofts, the collection of reception desks in brass, copper and hot rolled steel is a reflection of Isomi’s core philosophy of working with materials in their most original, authentic form. The metals are hand-selected at source with the greatest care and applied with absolutely minimal intervention in terms of treatment and finish.