People

text mavis ANG photos PROOF LIVING

who Thomas Pheasant

why The veteran American
designers fourth collection
with Baker furniture marks their
decade-long collaboration

what gets him out of bed

in the morning The pursuit of
perfection.
below The elegantly

50

slim frame of the

tufted Athens lounge
chair is something of a
manufacturing feat.

After working for 30 years as an interior designer, Thomas Pheasant

bemoans that perfection is a constantly distant goal. The pursuit of
classical beauty continues to guide him, but perfection is now a
motivation rather than a destination for me, he says. While much of
his time these days is spent coordinating his team of architects and
designers on residential projects, his latest Classical Evolution range for
Baker Furniture is more intimate. Its really just me, privately, with my
sketchpad, he says.
Continuing their decade-long collaboration, this recent 75-piece
body of work is Thomas fourth collection with Baker. He reveals how
he hesitated when the brand first wanted to collaborate with him, as
he likes having full control of his work. But Baker gave him the freedom
to create, and the rest is history. The first piece Thomas sketched for
this collection was the Athens lounge chair, which took him just a few
minutes to draw. It was, however, the final piece to be manufactured
as its slim silhouette proved an engineering challenge.
Thomas main source of inspiration has always been his travels,
during which he is constantly photographing his observations. (His
photographs and self-penned design outlook will be featured in his
upcoming book.) And he sees beauty in every corner: from Singapores
Peranakan Museum, which he dubbed an authentic cultural treasure,
to the seemingly nondescript paving patterns in Suzhous Humble
Administrators Garden. The designers inspirations often manifest
themselves subtly in his work, so you might just spot a bit of Peranakan
inspiration in his future designs!
Thomas Pheasants Classical Evolution collection for Baker is available at
Proof Living.