Words by: Max Bengtsson
Images by: Sam Wong
Thomas Coward is a multi-disciplinary designer whose commercial and personal work challenges the norm and focuses on the relationship between person, product, and space.
Thomas’ Colour Picks
Conversation with Thomas Coward
During our chat, Thomas unpacked his work in the design world of bathware and shared insights into how colour behaves in highly functional spaces.
He also explored how even conservative environments can still allow space for playful use of colour — just not always in permanent ways.
In Thomas’ design practice, materials like solid surface and natural stone dominate.
These are typically clean, durable, and often white-based for practicality.
Because of this, his approach to colour in professional work tends to be restrained and timeless.
However, he offsets this by exploring more expressive colour choices in branding and personal projects.
Quote
With my branding, I always wanted to do something quite conservative but then be quite playful with the colour, because it’s something you can change.
The Iso Chair — Colourful Language Project
For his Colourful Language project, Thomas revisited an earlier design called the “privacy chair”.
Originally designed as a semi-private seating solution for public spaces, the form resembled a small house-like structure.
During lockdown, he reinterpreted the concept into what became the Iso Chair — a symbolic response to isolation and remote living.
Quote
I thought, well, this is a good idea—we're in lockdown. It’s the right moment to make this chair and call it the ‘Iso Chair’, because essentially we're all in isolation.
The Iso Chair consists of two key components:
- A sculptural outer shell (the house form)
- The internal seating structure
For the shell, Thomas chose Paper Plane, allowing the American Oak veneer grain to remain visible.
This created a soft, natural base that complemented the structure.
To contrast the light shell, Thomas introduced a bold red tone for the inner structure.
This duality between soft exterior and vibrant interior reinforces the emotional tension of the piece.
The Iso Chair becomes a physical representation of isolation, reflection, and domestic space during lockdown.
Final Thoughts
The Iso Chair captures a moment in time — translating shared global experience into physical form.
It’s both functional object and emotional artefact.
Explore Thomas Coward
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/thomas.coward/
Website: https://www.thomascoward.com/
