Designer Jay Osgerby on the joys of collaboration and creativity on The Modern House Podcast
On The Modern House Podcast, our co-founder and host Matt Gibberd asks creative thinkers to share their top three living spaces around the world. From a Ludwig Mies van der Rohe modernist masterpiece to an eclectic London nightclub, our guests this series, who have included architect John Pawson and singer-songwriter Paloma Faith, have talked us through quite the spectrum of architectural delights. Our next guest in the chair is designer Jay Osgerby. Listen to the episode here.
If you’re not familiar with Jay by name, it’s likely you’ll have seen his work. One half of Barber Osgerby – the innovative design studio he helms alongside his friend and partner Edward Barber – his work spans architecture, interiors, furniture and product design. From the ‘Loop’ table made for Isokon to the ‘Soft Work’ sofa made for Vitra, Barber Osgerby are responsible for some of today’s most recognisable and welll-regarded pieces of design; their work is held in institutions such as the Victoria & Albert Museum in London and the Metropolitan Museum of Art in New York. As for one of the studio’s best known projects? The 2012 London Olympic torch.
One of Jay’s earliest memories is of his parents embarking on their own design project. In a small town just outside Oxford, they bought two old cottages and knocked them into one, which would become Jay’s family residence. He describes his mother as “always finding things” and repurposing them for the home. Making things, then, is in Jay’s blood, and growing up, he would spend rainy days tinkering away on his creative projects in the garden shed. In 1989, Jay went to London to pursue a Master’s degree in Architecture at London’s Royal College of Art. As if meant to be, he was put on a desk next to Edward; despite their lack of experience, the duo would shortly embark on their first job together.
Jay’s top three living spaces around the world are a testament to his love of – and knack for – experimental design. He takes us on a journey through architecture, from Crete to Paris to London, and shares why each space holds particular significance for him. Plus, he discusses the pandemic’s influence on the industry, the joys of a creative partnership and representing his country through design. You can tune in and listen to the episode here. Be sure to subscribe to the podcast so that you never miss an episode and if you could rate and review us, we’d be more than grateful. As ever, happy listening.
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