Patience & Gough blends design and sustainability in new collection
Patience & Gough has revealed its Shokunin Collection, a series of sculptural pieces that embodies sustainability and aesthetics.
From modest beginnings, the company – founded by Alice Patience and Oliver Gough – now has work shown in London, Milan, Florida and Utah. Their latest body of work, the Shokunin Collection, takes its name from the Japanese word for mastery of craft.
The reference is apt, with cabinets, consoles and sideboards pared back to sculptural outlines. Much of the work is realised in partnership with an Omani workshop known for marquetry of precision, a collaboration that allows Patience & Gough to think at scale.
Equally considered is the studio’s sustainable approach to production. Nothing is made speculatively, with each commission crafted to order in a bid to avoid overproduction. This not only eliminates waste but ensures every piece is personal and tailored to a client, place or story. For hotels, that means furniture and fittings conceived as part of the building’s identity, not simply added to it.
The duo’s commitment to sustainability runs through every project. Bamboo, used for the structural legs and frames, offers a renewable alternative to hardwoods, reaching maturity in a fraction of the time. Beneath the veneer lies Eco-Wud, an engineered board made in India from agricultural by-products – husks and fibres that might otherwise be burnt are given new purpose with remarkable strength.
The surfaces themselves are finished with veneers from TABU and Munday Veneers, suppliers at the forefront of responsible forestry. A single cubic metre of timber can yield 900m2 of veneer, an efficient use of natural material, and the suppliers FSC® and PEFC certifications ensure rigorous environmental stewardship.
Current projects include a seven-metre-high wall of marquetry in the reception lobby of a hotel in Japan, alongside a number of show homes and several highly exclusive commissions that remain under wraps.
As the brand moves further into the hotel sector, its vision for large-scale bespoke work becomes clear – reception desks wrapped in intricate marquetry, lobby features conceived as architectural artworks and entrances designed to become talking points.
Ultimately, Patience & Gough’s approach is about more than spectacle, with memorable and intentional work that is made to order, crafted with ecological care and designed to last.
In hotels, this ambition manifests in pieces that carry presence in a lobby and intimacy in a suite, always with the same thread of craftsmanship running through them. The Shokunin Collection demonstrates how scale, sustainability and artistry can come together to create interiors that leave a lasting impression.
