Timothy Oulton
British
Born late 1960’s, England
Practises in London, America, Hong Kong, Singapore
Timothy Oulton was born in Manchester, England, in the late 1960’s. His father, Major Philip Oulton, founded an antiques business in the village of Hale, near Manchester, UK. The signer misspelt “Hale”, and thus Halo Antiques was born in 1976.
Although he attended a prestigious boarding school, a privilege made possible thanks to his father’s career in the army, Oulton came from humble beginnings. He attended Ampleforth College, a boarding school run by monks in an old Benedictine monastery. It was there that Oulton had his first taste of classic English design, particularly that of furniture, which would become his signature style in later years. At school, he wandered the vast halls and admired the school’s magnitude old English leather furniture and antiques.
When Oulton left school, he thought he would become a city banker or, in his own words, ‘a playboy’. However, his part-time summer job, helping his father in Halo Antiques, would captivate his heart and ignite a lifelong interest in antiques.
Inspired by his new-found passion for antiques, Oulton permanently joined his father’s shop after the summer holidays ended. He soon became close with one of the employees at Halo Antiques, Eddie ‘Salvage Hands’ Gibson, an expert in all things wooden. Gibson took Oulton under his wing and the pair still work together to this day.
In 1990, Oulton took over the Halo Antiques business from his father. He continued to grow the business for a number of years, selling a variety of restored homeware items and antiques. Eventually, Oulton came to be of the view that the long-term future for an antique business was limited, and so he decided to focus on designing and reinventing antiques for the wholesale market.
With no formal education, his vision was to create an authentic brand of “humble luxury”, which uses traditional manufacturing techniques and materials. Each Timothy Oulton piece draws inspiration from the past, but is reconceived with a modern twist.
Oulton began to establish himself as a furniture designer with signature products made out of reclaimed wood and imperfect leather. His pieces took him to the Canton Import/Export Fair in China and he has lived in China permanently since 2004.
In Gaoming, he transformed a gym shoe factory into an extensive facility which functions so independently it reminds one of a small village. His goal was to build a factory which could produce world-class furniture in small quantities for the best shops across the world. The factory hosts a 4000 sqare meter, four-story showroom in addition to on-site upholstery, wood, and leather workshop. It also boasts an architectural array of seven roundhouses and a Halodome within which Oulton and his team reside. The factory in its entirety was opened to the public in 2011, inviting a worldwide audience to come and explore the roots of this now well-known brand.
In 2008, Timothy opened his first gallery in Los Angeles. Other stores soon followed in New York, London, and Hong Kong. By 2016, the Timothy Oulton retail brand, named after its founder and creative director, included 37 retail galleries worldwide.
Oulton’s style aims to create a welcoming feeling through his pieces. He aims for understated luxury in his designs – nothing ridiculous simply for the sake of it. His work is rooted in antiquity with a modern touch, resulting in designs which have a timeless integrity, yet still original. His designs do not try to appeal to the masses, rather speaking of a passion to deliver the extraordinary and of authenticity in design.
FURNITURE
- Shabby Sectional Sofa
- Nirvana Large Sectional Sofa
- Nirvana Medium Sectional Sofa
- Zenna Sectional Sofa
- Studio Sectional Sofa
- Lux Sectional Sofa
- Zenna Small Sectional Sofa
- Shabby Curve Sofa
- Westminster Button Sofa
- Westminster Feather Sofa
- Viscount William Sofa
- Reggio High Back Sofa
- Serpentine Sofa
- Tribeca Tufted Sofa
- Lux Sofa
- Newport Sofa
- Beatnix Sofa
- Cabana Chair
- Saddle Chair
- Aviator Tom Cat Chair
- Mars Chair MK3
- Scholar Chair
- Branco Chair
- Bastille Armchair
- Professor Chair
- Mentor Chair
- Manor Chair
- Avo Chair
- City Chair
- Rally Chair
- Trio Chair
- Wildcat Chair
- Wild Chair
- Stud Professor Chair
- Professor Spitfire Chair
- Punk Professor Chair
- Furious Professor Chair
- Kimono Chair
- Cub Chair
- Mad Professor Chair
- Cave Chair
- Athena Armchair
- Milano Chair
- Iceberg Dining Table
- Junction Table
- Glacier Dining Table
- Junction Marble Dining Table
- Georgian Architectural Dining Table
- Causeway Dining Table
- Scorched Dining Table
- Rex Dining Table
- Edwardian Dining Table
- Hestia Dining Table
- Axel MK2 Dining Table
- Axel MK2 Round Dining Table
- Mimi Dining Chair
- Mimi Dining Chair with Arms
- Mimi Quilt Dining Chair
- Mimi Quilt Dining Chair with Arms
- Lannister Dining Chair
- Side Saddle Dining Chair
- Angeles Dining Chair
- Charlie Dining Chair
- Kimono Dining Chair
- Cliveden Dining Chair
- Zorba Dining Chair
- Carlton Dining Chair
- Swinderby Dining Chair
- Athena Ding Chair
- Shabby Dining Chair
- Cliveden Dining Chair with Arms
- Block Dining Chair
- Axel MK2 Media Unit
- Zazenne Media Unit
- Castaway Media Unit
- Stonyhurst Chest
- Aviator Blackhawk Chest
- Colosseum Chest
- Castaway Chest
- Ampleforth Chest
- Zazenne Sideboard
- Hudson Sideboard
- Stonyhurst Sideboard
- Ampleforth Sideboard
- Butterfly MK2 Sideboard
- Regiment Drum Bookcase
- Ridge Bookcase
- Aviator Blackhawk Bookcase
- Castaway Bookcase
- Iceberg Bookcase
- Globetrekker Bookcase
- Axel MK2 Bookcase
- Butterfly MK2 Cupboard
- Aviator Blackhawk Valkyrie Desk
- Aviator Blackhawk Desk
- Aviator Blackhawk Cowling Desk
- Edwardian Desk
- Monaco Desk
- Glacier Console
- Rex Console
- Junction Console
- Iceberg Console
- Colosseum Console
- Junction Marble Console
- Rod Console
- Zodiac Console
- Scorched Console
- Light Up Console
- Axel MK2 Console
- Bio Hazard Bar Cabinet
- Hudson Bar Cabinet
- Monaco Bar Cabinet
- Hudson Bar
- Empire Bar Cart
- Spitfire Bar
- Spur Small Side Table
- Xylem Side Table
- Spur Large Side Table
- Marble Cube Side Table
- Regiment Drum Side Table
- Stonyhurst Side Table
- Colosseum Side Table
- Aviator Blackhawk Side Table
- Globetrekker Side Table
- Iceberg Side Table
- White Star Trunk
- London Trunk
- Paris Trunk
- Rod Side Table
- Castaway Side Table
- Ampleforth Side Table
- Axel MK2 Side Table
- Junk Art Propeller Round Coffee Table
- Junk Art Propeller Square Coffee Table
- Shabby Coffee Table
- Glacier Coffee Table
- Aviator Blackhawk Coffee Table
- Iceberg Coffee Table
- Stonyhurst Coffee Table
- Colosseum Coffee Table
- Marble Coffee Table
- Globetrekker Coffee Table
- Edwardian Coffee Table
- Scorched Coffee Table
- Rod Coffee Table
- Castaway Coffee Table
- Marble Map Coffee Table
- Axel MK2 Coffee Table
- Joker Barstool
- Angeles Barstool
- Gym Horse Barstool
- Gym Horse Bench
- Cabin Bench
- Lord Digsby Square Footstool
- Lord Digsby Rectangle Footstool
- Lord Digsby Round Footstool
- Saddle Footstool
- Cabana Footstool
- Westminster Button Footstool
- Punk Professor Footstool
- Cave Footstool
- Athena Footstool
- Odeon Pendant
- Odeon Rectangle Pendant
- Odeon Marble Pendant
- Night Rod Pendant
- Night Rod Rectangle Pendant
- Crossglass Pendant
- Crystal Chandelier
- Crystal Rectangle Chandelier
- Gyro Crystal Chandelier
- Gyro Crystal Rectangle Chandelier
- Gyro Pendant
- Light Wheel Pendant
- Herodes Pendant
- Ice Pendant
- Paradise Pendant
- Paradise Spiral Pendant
- Rex Pendant
- Rex Diamond Pendant
- Rod Pendant
- Rock Crystal Rain Pendant
- Zig Zag Pendant
- Neutron Pendant
- Newton Pendant
- Core Pendant
- Bark Round Pendant
- Bark Square Pendant
- Bark Rectangle Pendant
- Elysium Ball Pendant
- Classic Volt Chandelier
- Globe Pendant
- Orb Crystal Chandelier
- Selenite Pendant
- Selenite Rectangle Pendant
- Mobile Pendant
- Elysium Cluster Pendant
- Elysium Rectangle Pendant
- Iris Pendant
- Bubble Pendant
- Crystal Chain Rectangle Pendant
- Crystal Chain Round Pendant
- Inception Rectangle Pendant
- Inception Rock Crystal Pendant
- Inception Round Pendant
- Odeon Floor Lamp
- Night Rod Floor Lamp
- Night Rod Short Floor Lamp
- Crystal Floor Lamp
- Gyro Crystal Floor Lamp
- Crystal Floor Lamp with Tray
- Gyro Crystal Floor Lamp with Tray
- Gyro Floor Lamp
- Gyro Floor Lamp with Tray
- Flex Floor Lamp
- Paradise Floor Lamp
- Zig Zag Floor Lamp
- Rod Floor Lamp
- Rex Floor Lamp
- Ghost Floor Lamp
- Crystal Table Lamp
- Gyro Crystal Table Lamp
- Gyro Table Lamp
- Night Rod Table Lamp
- Odeon Table Lamp
- Rex Table Lamp
- Zig Zag Table Lamp
- Paradise Table Lamp
- Rod Table Lamp
- Meta Table Lamp
- Iris Table Lamp
- Elysium Table Lamp
- Crystal Sconce
- Zig Zag Sconce
- Flex Sconce
- Newton Sconce
- Selenite Sconce
- Inception Sconce
- Gyro Crystal Sconce
- Gyro Sconce
- Crossglass Sconce
- Elysium Double Ball Sconce
- Elysium Sconce
- Iris Sconce
- Rod Sconce
- Inception Rock Crystal Sconce
- Inception Mirror
- Inception Tall Mirror
- Rex Tall Mirror
- Rex Mirror
- Inception Rock Crystal Mirror
- Inception Rock Crystal Tall Mirror
- Ridge Mirror
- Newton Mirror
- Edwardian Mirror
- Elysium Mirror
- Elysium Tall Mirror
- Aviator Blackhawk Mirror
- Aviator Cowling Mirror
- Axel MK2 Tall Mirror
- Axel MK2 Mirror