Richard Fulton

Furniture maker

A new path in furniture crafting

Richard shifted from stage design to furniture making during the pandemic
He aims to reinterpret traditional forms in his designs
For him, the best pieces are ones that bring lasting joy to their owner

Richard Fulton studied architecture at TU Vienna, as well as stage design and scenography at Zurich University of the Arts. His transition to furniture making came when COVID-19 brought his stage design projects to a halt. During the lockdown, a friend rethinking her interior sparked a new direction for Richard. "She needed a statement bench for her entryway, something functional yet eye-catching," he recounts. Designing that piece led Richard to explore contemporary interpretations of historical forms. Making this first piece of furniture marked the beginning of Richard’s new creative journey. He presented his collection at trade fairs in Vienna and during London Craft Week in the years that followed, where his work received positive recognition.

Interview

Why did you choose to pursue this career?: Seeing how furniture works in a space and how historical designs could be reinterpreted with a contemporary touch was so exciting to me that I started designing a small collection. Those first pieces ignited something in me, and I realised that these pieces were not meant for just one setting; they belonged everywhere.
What is your favourite material to work with?: I prefer walnut wood because of its rich, elegant grain. I only treat wood with oil to enhance its natural patterns, giving it a beautiful, matte sheen.
What do you love most about your profession?: I love the moment of drawing the first line of a sketch, when an idea begins to take shape.
What is your definition of an object being well made?: For me, something is well made if I love living with it and cannot imagine being without it. It must be solid, age well, and bring lasting joy. My simple Art Nouveau brass lamp is one such object, and it has been on my desk since I was 18. Its patina tells a story, and even polishing it is a pleasure.

Richard Fulton is a rising star: he began his career in 2022