Started in 1993 by Simon Burvill and Christian Gaze, the company’s mission from the outset was to create beautifully crafted outdoor furniture without using tropical woods. The pair decided to oak of the very finest quality, as recommended by Gertrude Jekyll, doyenne of British garden design. Minimising impact on the environment is central to its ethos, as is Gaze Burvill’s commitment to both keeping traditional wood-working skills alive, and embracing the latest technological and digital best practice. The company cherishes its team of highly skilled craftsmen, designers, apprentices, aftercare technicians and support staff, and is proud to provide a top-level customer service for clients; these include lead international garden designers, private owners of the most beautiful homes and gardens, and some of the country’s finest public gardens.
With Gaze Burvill’s established expertise in creating furniture specifically for the outdoor environment, the company was approached to make kitchens too. Gone are the days of the unsightly BBQ monster hidden in a corner of the terrace: customers are seeking the same sleek, high-performing kitchen experience outside as they would expect from their space inside. Fine cabinetry, the best appliances, and a personal design service are now de rigueur. Gaze Burvill’s experience and knowledge of creating a smart cooking arrangement that will stand the test of time has meant that outdoor kitchens are an important part of what the company does. Whether a small-but-beautiful mobile kitchen for a London terrace, or a dramatic ‘Oval Broadwalk’ table that seats 14, Gaze Burvill can design something that exudes timeless elegance.
Minimising impact on the environment is central to its ethos, as is Gaze Burvill’s commitment to both keeping traditional wood-working skills alive, and embracing the latest technological and digital best practice
The company’s commitment to protecting the planet’s resources remains key. The workshop is heated by a biomass boiler, fuelled with wood waste, which is topped up with energy from the solar panels on the roof (which also powers the electric car chargers). The oak used comes from certified, sustainably planted and re-planted British and European forests and has been carefully nurtured for more than a century, purely for the purpose of providing wood for use in furniture making, for example. Gaze Burvill champions this cycle of careful forest management, and, as the public understanding of its benefits grows, people are increasingly preferring to invest in wood – one of nature’s oldest carbon-locking materials. Gaze Burvill furniture and cabinetry is designed for long life, adapting to the caprices of the climate and gently turning silver with time, but an aftercare service is offered to help keep pieces in tip-top condition for even longer.
Gaze Burvill has always had a magnificent – and multi-award winning – display at RHS Chelsea Flower Show and visits to the Hampshire workshop and showroom are welcome by prior appointment. The collection provides an excellent choice of garden seats and landscape pieces, such as tree seats and garden spirals, as well as dining arrangement options, which can be paired with comfortable seating (comfort is a key mission when designing a seat of any kind). Good design and true originality that doesn’t compromise on craftsmanship define these outdoor collection which will elevate any al fresco space.
Gaze Burvill, Lodge Farm, East Tisted, Alton, Hampshire GU34 3QH
+44 (0)1420 588444
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