Fine English Company Speaks to Tweedy

The Fine English Company - Timeless English Interiors

The Fine English Company uses skilled British craftsmen to create accessories and furniture. The company also designs interiors for clients, creating bespoke pieces and sourcing antiques, to evoke an English aesthetic.

Young Mrs Tweed Investigates

We were always going to be interested in finding out more about a business called Fine English Company. Young Mrs Tweed was dispatched with a pencil, paper and tape recorder in her haversack to find out more. She investigated and we liked. This is the result of an interview with Fine English Company Managing Director, Benedict Wormald. Thanks to Benedict for his time.

How would you describe the ‘English aesthetic’?
I think that the English aesthetic was really truly formed during the period of the Grand Tour, when wealthy families would send their sons around the world to enhance their appreciation of the arts, and they would bring back selected items of furniture and paintings to stamp their personality upon the great houses of England. The contents of an English stately home are a legacy of generations of tastes and acquisition, things don’t always match and are certainly eclectic.

What do you consider to be timeless classics?
The Rolex Submariner, the Hermes Birkin, the Dupont Lighter and the Vuitton monogrammed Steamer Trunk. Over the past 15 years we have sought craftsmen capable of working with the best materials to produce items that will last and not date. I can walk a client through an entire production process - from the sheep in the fields in Northumberland, to the hill farm, to the tweed mill where the wool of the sheep is woven into our bespoke tweed.

Tell us about the items you use to create your interiors?
We always have a stock of key architectural items, Edwardian/Victorian pieces for games rooms and long rooms, for example. We sourced a billiards table, which we refinished in burgundy rather than the typical green baize and the end result was quite unique. We pride ourselves on being the very best when it comes to gun rooms, or long rooms as they are more correctly called. We are lucky in our relationship with Holland & Holland and their ability to refer these commissions to us.

We source top-end antique taxidermy by Van Ingen and Rowland Ward. Then we have automotive items from the greats such as Napier, Bentley, Aston Martin, and aeronautical items such as full sized propellers and model planes, plus humidors and luggage.

What is the demand for antique taxidermy?
The appetite for original and best quality antique taxidermy has just soared. A great example is a 1930s Van Ingen tiger that we sourced for a client that had never been unpacked. It was still in its branded canvas bag and had the transit wax on the teeth and claws.

[Young Mrs Tweed returns to Tweed Towers wondering about commissioning a stuffed pig.]

The Fine English Company recognises the long standing regard for British craftsmanship, harnessing traditional skills and materials but updating with a contemporary design as part of a luxury lifestyle.  - The Fine English Company