We are designers and manufacturers of world-class commercial and residential furniture. Our products seem simple, but there has been much brow-furrowing and chin stroking to refine each design into an essential, classic piece - a faithful servant that will be used for decades to come. Quality like this doesn’t happen by chance, it happens when we love what we do.
Our purpose is to create products that are simple, durable and beautiful – products that embody both joy and practicality – we call this Happy Modern.
We believe good design doesn’t shout. Our products are developed in a rigorous design process that involves an abundance of passion, cleverness, creativity and iteration.
There is an under-appreciated sense of joy when your table doesn’t wobble or your couch still looks great after another year of being used as a trampoline. We make modern objects that do just this. Classic, simple pieces that fit and adapt with your life – regardless of whether your life includes seventeen cats, 2.5 children or back to back meetings with Power Point acrobats.
We are also hard taskmasters – even after many years of service when your furniture might be looking forward to a quiet retirement, they can be refinished or reupholstered to give them a new lease of life.
Living alongside objects that make you happy is what makes us happy.
Director Sam Haughton established IMO in 2004 committed to creating products that remain relevant and valued – products that can be passed on for the next generation to enjoy.
He opened his first workshop in 1992, designing and manufacturing one-off commissions and over time developed a standard product range. “As my business grew, I started working with local manufacturers which is when I really started to understand how things were made. Design doesn’t have to be expensive or elitist, just good and accessible. I like the notion of ‘good design for all’.”
We involve our manufacturers heavily throughout the development and transfer to production process. The insights and innovations gained from challenging materials and connections in the manufacturing process inform and improve your product. That only happens face to face, usually on the factory floor. Compromise creates opportunity; it makes the design more real, more viable and ensures that the product fulfils its design intent long term.”
Though Sam finds himself juggling all aspects of the business in his day-to-day work, his true love will always be design. “I love the process of experimenting with new details, materials, and manufacturing and most of all the end result. It is really rewarding when it finally comes together and you manage to capture all that detail in a simple object”.
IMO is committed to creating timeless, versatile and affordable products that endure changes in tastes and trends. We believe in taking genuine and lasting steps to improve our design solutions, policies, processes and practices to become more
environmentally aware and achieve a higher standard of sustainability.
We strive to reduce the negative impact of everyday living on the environment and create awareness to empower our Staff, Suppliers and Clients so they take responsibility for environmental issues both at home and in the workplace.
Most of the environmental impact from the building and furniture industries is caused by material production. However, when the lifespan of a building is taken into account over a long period of time,
the embodied energy from the frequent replacement of furniture accounts for a considerably high percentage of life cycle energy.
Hence the environmental performance of a product needs to address its entire life cycle starting from its development, to manufacture, delivery, use and retirement.