Ochre

Ochre is a small design company founded by two British women with enough ideas in common and enough independence to inspire each other to start a company which continues to grow organically, whilst staying true to its underlying principles: to use...
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Ochre is a small design company founded by two British women with enough ideas in common and enough independence to inspire each other to start a company which continues to grow organically, whilst staying true to its underlying principles: to use high quality materials and flawless craftsmanship to create objects of style and beauty which are both timeless and contemporary.

Joanna Bibby and Harriet Maxwell Macdonald met at art school and were inspired to put some of their ideas into practice for their debut at 100% Design in London in 1996. The first creations were exquisitely crafted gessoed lamp bases, which were delicately coloured, water gilded and perfectly balanced with simple shades. The recurring themes of Ochre’s work – proportion, texture, contrast and finish – were all in place. The simplest of lines describe pieces that perform the most necessary of functions, and do so with style, honesty, and understated elegance.

Ochre is admired for not only creating perfect forms – but also the use of colours: those of heather, bracken, wet and dry stone, water, and sky. This quiet beauty has become a signature for Ochre. Ochre’s work has the rare ability to serve more than its primary function, leading to a quietly powerful presence, often sculptural, always elegant, and invariably speaking of harmonious, intelligent design.