NOVOCASTRIAN was founded in 2014, though our origins trace back through generations of skilled shipbuilders and metalworkers.

OUR STORY

Not so long ago, North East England was the workshop of the world. At the turn of the 20th century, half of all ships built globally were launched on the Tyne or the Wear. Meanwhile, the Great North Coalfield mined 56 million tons of coal each year, powering industry and employing nearly a quarter of a million men.

For many of us, it takes just a generation or two to trace our roots to a shipbuilder or coal miner. Craft, resilience, and hard graft are in our blood.

Sadly our region’s industrial might has since waned, but NOVOCASTRIAN is a means to celebrate our heritage and rethink it for the modern world.

OUR ROOTS
1900s - 1960s

By the 1960s it was common for working class communities in the North East to grow up in the shadow of vast, towering steel vessels. The sea of cranes and clang of hammers represented a booming industry in full swing, employing generation after generation. Two World Wars surged demand.

A young caulker at a Tyneside yard, 1943, Cecil Beaton
HMS Uganda sliding down the slipway at the Walker Naval Yard, 1941
1970s - 1990s
2000s

As the 2000s rolled around, most of the heavy industry which once dominated North East England was gone, and Education, Education, Education was the flavour of the day. Richy became the first in his family to have the opportunity to go to university, and decided to study architecture. After stints in Newcastle-upon-Tyne and London he headed to the Glasgow School of Art, graduating in 2010, in the midst of recession.

The Glasgow School of Art by the legendary Charles Rennie Mackintosh, who continues to play a key influence in NOVOCASTRIAN's aesthetic

Optimism soon wore thin as the search for a graduate job in architecture proved elusive. Not a single practice in Scotland or the north of England appeared to be hiring. An offer from a friend of a two-week contract at a London luxury interior design studio appeared the only option and so Richy headed south once again.

He believed it was a temporary measure as the economy recovered, and that he'd soon head back to 'proper' architecture, but two weeks led to two months, then to two years. He began to relish a world where time, budget, and consideration could be applied to every detail. It's also where he first crossed paths with Andrew, who would later join NOVOCASTRIAN as a Director.

The Slate Binate coffee table, 2013 — the first piece Richy designed, and still his favourite
OUR NAME
Novus NEW

Noh—voh—KASS—tree—uhn

Castrum CASTLE

NOUN
A native or resident of Newcastle upon Tyne

ADJECTIVE
Of or relating to Newcastle upon Tyne

ORIGIN
From Medieval Latin

2014 - 2016 — the early years
Mark and Paul review early finish attempts, 2014
Paul prototyping a dining table, 2014
The Best of British, an early feature in The Telegraph by Caroline Camp
Dean assembling an early Staiths unit, 2016
The original Staiths Shelving — inspired by the structures of Victorian industrial relics in the River Tyne
Friends and family join us at our first trade show, Design Junction, 2015
The Welder, an early collaboration with Faye Toogood as part of The Cloakroom exhibition at the V&A Museum, 2015
Our first award, Best Newcomer at the Northern Design Festival, 2015
Our first Special Project, the Sonor Boardroom Table, 2014
2016 - 2018 — Team Building
Marcus, James and Alex in our first workspace — a hired corner
Richy & Paul — weekend patina trials
Marcus
Andrew
Sarah
The Port Free Mirror, 2017
The Stanhope Coffee Table, 2018
Black Oiled Steel panelling at our first surfaces job, 2018
2019
Tata Mirror, 2019
Athwart Dining Table, 2019
2020 - 2022 — the covid years

Covid took hold as we secured our first dedicated workshop, perhaps inevitably, it was the workshop in which Richy spent those school holidays lending a hand as a young lad.

Thankfully, as makers, we were able to continue running, albeit with great difficulty. The team pulled together and seen us through, aided by vast quantities of hand sanitiser.

Our Master Craftsman Marcus teaching young Jack his trade
Issy joined us in 2020 as a finisher, and would go on to become our Sales Manager

As we continued to grow our collection and refine our methods, we found it increasingly difficult to recruit team members with transferrable skills. Our offering was becoming more niche each year. We made the decision to invest in our region's youth, and began training in-house.

In 2021 we recruited Jack, our first apprentice, who would be guided through a rigorous three-year education in metalwork by Marcus.

The Otterburn Chess Set, 2021
The Yohan Cabinet, 2020, image courtesy of Pernille Lind Studio

Our confidence grew, and we continued to push ourselves. Our name became synonymous with mirrors and tables, but what more could we do? An early foray into cabinetry came in 2020 when we figured out how to build an entire filing cabinet from brass with the Yohan.

 

In 2021 Richy decided to develop a chess set for the 30th birthday of brother Paul's, a keen chess player. He looked towards deepest, darkest Northumberland for inspiration, a region once plagued by medieval battles. The result was the Otterburn Chess Set, which would later inspire the Otterburn Chess Table.

Felix joins the team as Senior Designer in 2022
Our workshop, 2022
2023 — A brighter future
The Insulator Pendant B with the Egg mirror
The Insulator Sconce 0 and Sconce A

Another year of innovation followed, with 2023 marking perhaps the biggest leap in our capabilities and ambitions. After years of deliberation, we felt ready to develop our long-awaited first lighting range, the Insulator Collection.

 

Soon after, we unveiled the Otterburn Chess Table, a Special Project that truly demonstrated the full extent of our abilities, celebrating a decade of hard work and dedication.

The Otterburn Chess Set
2024 —
A proud moment as Jack becomes our first employee to qualify from apprentice to metalworker
We continue to evolve our brass-wrapped cabinetry offering with the Carvel
The Hagstones, a collaboration with Britannicus Stone, celebrating British stone
CONTACTING NOVOCASTRIAN

Get in touch to discuss your project, and we’ll bring your vision to life with bespoke craftsmanship and attention to detail.

With our manufacturing base in North-East England and a permanent presence in London, we work with clients across the UK and internationally. Our team can also travel for installations, ensuring a seamless experience wherever you are.

GET IN TOUCH

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