Newport based office furniture designer and manufacturer, Bisley, has collaborated with iconic lighting brand, Anglepoise, to develop a new office furniture collection, known as Quarters, designed to meet the needs of the post-Covid workplace.
Both British interiors brands were founded in the 1930s and to this day remain under the stewardship of the families that established them.
Furniture enthusiasts will be familiar with the award winning Bisley MultiDrawer, a classic in office furniture design first created in 1958, and the Anglepoise adjustable table lamp, with its classic form that can be found on desks the world over.
The new collaboration was conceived when Bisley were conceptualising the new Quarters collection, a flexible family of sheltered working spaces designed to provide a haven away from the busy workplace, complete with personal storage embedded for easy access.
Robin Bayliss, Group Sales Director at Bisley said: “It struck me that Anglepoise and Bisley were of a similar history and age and both synonymous with British design; we have also used their classic Original 1227 desk lamp for many years in our visual language to denote classic Brit design – the MINI, the telephone box, the desk lamp and our Multidrawer – and so it made sense to start a discussion to collaborate and create a product jointly.
“Add in to the mix Sir Kenneth Grange, Design Director at Anglepoise, turning 90 and designing a new lamp – the Type 80 – and we just had to do something together. Two years later Quarters was born.”
Each piece of the Quarters collection required an integrated lighting solution and as Anglepoise was considered the dream collaboration by the Bisley design team, an alliance was formed.
Quarters incorporates Anglepoise’s Type 80 lamp, which has a halo lightscape effect, courtesy of its classic conical lampshade. It is a design by Sir Kenneth Grange, who is responsible for some iconic British designs, including the Kenwood Chef, the regional Royal Mail postbox and the Intercity 125.
Detail fans will appreciate the fact that within the design itself, the radius of the Quarters’ panel and stitch detailing matches that of the Type 80 lampshade. Colour-wise, Type 80 is available in black, grey, pistachio and rose pink, while the screens and the seating booths are available in multiple tonal fabric options.
Recognising the need for adaptability within post-pandemic workspaces, Quarters booths can be configured so businesses can decide on their purpose, with options varying from a single booth in which to concentrate, a double booth for ideas and co-working, or a meeting booth for private group meetings.
Richard Costin, CEO of Bisley said: “The office landscape is constantly changing, and the pandemic has meant that we’ve needed to adapt our working spaces as more individuals embrace a hybrid way of working, with companies providing space for collaboration, as well as places for individuals to focus.
“The new Quarters collection is an exciting new launch for Bisley as we look ahead to consider what the post pandemic office of the future may encompass. We know that for many organisations things will look quite different and as a company that specialises in office furniture design and manufacturing we want to be at the forefront of what comes next.”
Robin Bayliss said: “Bisley and Anglepoise represent two British heritage brands established in the 1930s, that remain privately owned and who boast a wealth of award winning designs. Because of this there are so many synergies between us and as a result working together has been an exciting and rewarding experience for all involved.
“Quarters is a unique product for Bisley, which is manufacturered at our Newport HQ, and represents a milestone in the continued uplift of our brand and product equity – introducing upholstery for the first time.”
