Founded by the garden designer and writer, Tabi Jackson Gee, Them Outdoors is a new online supplier of design-led garden furniture, sculpture and planters, made by artists, designers and craftspeople in the UK. The business aims to bring together creatives working on a variety of crafts and materials, from shell-covered zinc to cleft oak planters, aluminium stools, bronze sculptures, jesmonite bird baths, marble tables and ceramic tableware. The collections consist of works that have been exhibited in the UK and abroad, as well items commissioned specifically for the company.
Tom Faulkner is a designer and maker of sculptural furniture and accessories. The brand was established in 1996 and the collections are handmade Faulkner’s workshop in Wiltshire, UK. With two showrooms in London, on Lots Road and Pimlico Road, his works are known for clean lines, distinctive silhouettes and simplicity of metalwork.
Faulkner has now collaborated with Jackson Gee on a new set of distinct Lily Planters, made in corten steel, satin polished stainless steel or coloured steel. The Lily Planters are the first garden planters created by the Faulkner workshop.
“The lily planters are an extension of Tom’s very popular Lily collection. I approached Tom last year when Them Outdoors was still in its infancy as I love his designs and was particularly drawn to his steel furniture. It is an amazing material and one which is underused in gardens. Tom very kindly agreed to work with us on an exclusive planter design; we are very excited about the partnership and hope that it evolves into more garden pieces in the future,” explained Jackson Gee.
Crafted from steel and cut into shape, the sides are rolled and welded to form the planter’s shape. The satin finish polished version is, as the name suggests, polished to an almost mirror finish, but is deliberately left slightly cloudy. The rusted version is fabricated out of cor-ten steel – a high-strength, low-alloy steel that develops a stable and beautiful, rust-like patina when left outside. This protective layer actually prevents further corrosion, making it highly durable and low-maintenance. Coloured versions, made of galvanised steel are powder-coated in a colour of the client’s choice.
“I’ve been interested in expanding a collection that delicately balances the line of furniture and sculpture, so it was a great joy to design the Lily Planter, exclusively for Them Outdoors. Tabi has a great vision and I love the idea of designing something that, materially, is the opposite to delicate garden planting, but which comes together in a rather poetic way,” explained Faulkner.
The planter is currently available in two sizes: Large (D 600 x H 400) and Small (D 100 x H 500) and are available via Them Outdoors.