Caroline Burvill on the work

Designed by Katie Walker for Meon by Gaze Burvill and made in Hampshire, the Levity Armchair brings together contemporary making technology and traditional craft.

A single continuous piece of steam-bent ash forms the arms and backrest, while the seat is carefully shaped for comfort without the need for upholstery or padding. The simplicity of the silhouette is offset by a subtle twist through the legs, and while the chair is available in a choice of colour stains, the natural ash allows the grain and character of the timber to remain visible.

Levity was awarded Best Product for the Home at the Clerkenwell Design Week Awards, received a Design Guild Mark and won the Furniture category at the Wood Awards.

The chair also reflects Gaze Burvill’s wider commitment to British craftsmanship and responsible forestry. The studio has long advocated for productive woodland management in the UK, supporting the planting and careful management of trees while encouraging greater use of locally grown timber. Gaze Burvill is Grown in Britain certified and has developed collections using British-grown wood, including its work with the National Trust and, through Meon, a collection of interior tables and chairs made by craftspeople in Hampshire.

For the Levity Armchair, ash is sourced close to the workshop and shaped into a chair that relies on the timber itself for both structure and comfort. The natural variation in solid ash means that no two chairs are quite the same, with the grain giving each piece its own individual character.