Steel and reflections

Paddy Pike is a designer with a knack for blending the old with the new. With a background steeped in mechanical engineering and experience working alongside industry leaders, Pike has developed a distinctive style that merges traditional with modern. His latest collection, Arnardo, epitomises this approach, turning polished steel into almost moving, fluid forms.

hube: Your latest Arnardo collection merges futuristic forms with polished steel, inspired by Ron Arad’s design language. How did you adapt Arad’s influence to create something distinctly your own, particularly using modern technologies like AI and virtual reality?

Paddy Pike: I’ve always admired Ron’s work with polished sheet steel. I wanted to stay true to this raw material while pushing the boundaries by using virtual reality to create more dynamic and fluid shapes. By 3D modelling each piece, I could explore complex three-dimensional curves. Then, I used AI to realistically render these forms in polished steel, allowing me to visualise and refine the design in a way that felt distinctly my own.

h: You’ve used advanced tools like virtual reality in your design process. How does working in a digital realm before moving to physical production change the way you think about form and material?
PP: Virtual reality is a revolutionary tool that opens up new creative possibilities. It allows me to experiment with forms that break away from traditional constraints. While I still need to consider practical aspects of manufacturing, designing in this digital realm gives me the freedom to explore bold, unconventional ideas first, before refining them for production.

h: Polished steel is the primary material used in the Arnardo collection. What draws you to this material, and how do you balance its industrial qualities with the aesthetic elegance of your designs?

PP: I love the reflective element of polished steel, it transforms the object into a canvas for its surroundings. I would like to do more work that integrates the raw look of industrial steel as I find the contrast very interesting, perhaps for the next collection…

h: Your photography captures diverse and vibrant subjects. How do the stories and scenes you capture through the lens influence your approach to furniture and product design?

PP: I enjoy an unscripted approach to photography, taking my camera everywhere and shooting anything that grabs my attention, especially when I see strong character. This is the same for design inspiration, there should be no rules, just random and riveting thoughts that can be translated to a product.

h: You’ve mentioned drawing inspiration from places like India and the English countryside. Is there a story or experience from these places that deeply influenced a particular design?

PP: I am soon to release a collection of wooden furniture that is inspired by the work of Pierre Jeanneret in Chandigarh in the 1950s. This project aims to showcase the amazing craftsmanship that India has on offer and to pay homage to one of the greatest furniture designers of the last century.

h: How do you see the furniture of the future? Will it stay practical or move towards avant-garde shapes and forms? 

PP: As it becomes easier to create visually beautiful images of designs, I think there will be a shift towards the narrative and concept behind a design, along with the already present shift towards sustainable materials and processes. I have a lot of focus in this area currently and find it very exciting.