One To Watch - Tamasine Osher

With a background in architecture and a love of natural materials, this furniture and lighting designer creates contemporary, structural pieces with soul

- Claudia Baillie

Can you tell us a little bit about your background?

I always knew I wanted to be a designer, but I wasn’t sure which discipline so I went to the University of Manchester to study architecture, which gave me a high-level grounding in design. Afterwards, I worked in London in architecture and graphic design before joining the Willer gallery in Kensington as an art director. That’s where I realised I was really interested in interiors, furniture and lighting. As a result, I enrolled on a part-time Masters course in furniture design. Willer very kindly let me work four days a week, then I spent Saturday, Sunday and Monday on my degree. I launched Tamasine Osher Design in 2011 so all the hard work was worth it.

Do you come from a creative background?

Both my parents are architects and antiques collectors. As a child I was always in their offices during the school holidays, and I often found myself at furniture auctions with them. My dad is an artist too, so I was surrounded by creativity. Design has always been in my family.

What was the first piece you designed?