
Style Tastemaker: Johnny Egg Offers Decor a Twist
Furniture designer Johnny Egg lives in a home filled with prototypes. Born in London to an African father and an Irish mother, the self-taught designer shares a joint house and workshop in rural Essex, United Kingdom, together with his wife, two dogs, a cat and a sprinkling of chickens. The home is where furniture designs move from head to paper to digital picture and prototype.
“I like to live with all the furniture pieces to get a little bit of time until I decide if I like them or not,” states Egg, who dates, signs and numbers every piece which leaves his studio. The designer, who is motivated by pop and street art, is currently adding more variants to his award-winning collection, tables using striking drawers which spin independently of one another; functioning on Safe, a soon-to-be-released retro-Scandinavian collection; and preparing for a retail store existence in the United States.
Twisted End Table – GBP 1,200
Egg’s Twisted drawers fit right into this intimate white bedroom. The crisp white hue along with the sheen of the beveled-edge glass leading add to the area’s luminous quality. The shock comes when you pull out the drawers and are greeted with rich, saturated colour.
Johnny Egg
Vanity – EUR 1,595
This vanity stool and table were redesigned for the U.K. house and garden department store Heal’s through its 2011 bicentennial. Egg was motivated by furniture craftsman and businessman Ambrose Heal’s original design as part of the Fine Feathers bedroom package in 1898. Each of these pieces was carved using a quotation from Rudyard Kipling:”If this be vanity, who would be wise” Egg inscribed the same quote inside the drawers of his designs.
Johnny Egg
Daphne Floor Lamp – GBP 750
The designer gives a classic tripod floor lamp his signature flair with his four-legged flocked Daphne version. “I challenge myself by asking how I could improve on the furniture,” Egg states. “Also, my spouse’s a great assistance. We come up with ideas, work on them together and bounce ideas off each other.”
This textured lamp in deep purple would make a dramatic conversation piece in the living room. But don’t be surprised if you find guests caressing the color’s soft surface.
Johnny Egg
Sunburst Clock – GBP 120
This clock came about from Egg’s requirement to fill an empty kitchen wall space. “Spectacular thoughts come from the simplest everyday items you want around the house,” he states.
Johnny Egg
Egg’s decor pieces in scarlet red enliven the subdued black and white motif of the room.
Johnny Egg
Dave the Ram – GBP 80
The curves of the ram’s horns as well as the daring magenta hue make this statement piece perfect for a house that needs a combo of gravitas and flair.
“I believe your home should be cozy and reflect your personality. It is a fantastic thing that not everybody has the same taste. Nonetheless, it’s always good to push yourself and be brave in your choices, to go ahead and try something new in your decor.”
Johnny Egg
Twisted Little Sister End Table – GBP 399
Egg strives for versatility using all the materials he works with, with steel for strength on pieces with wide spans or frameworks, walnut or oak for the beauty of the grain, and glass for elegance. Here, the Twisted Little Sister excels with no top two drawers of the first and contains a glam impact that appeals to both a masculine or feminine aesthetic.
Johnny Egg
Suspension Console – GBP 3,800
This modern console would make a striking decor piece within an entryway. The rich and complicated wood grain, glossy metallic finish and polished glass surface form a practical storage space with enough tabletop surface for lamps along with a minimalist vignette. The interior colour of the drawer is your finishing touch.
Johnny Egg
Although Egg’s country home is peppered with prototypes, he is seen here with a few of his treasured noodle pieces, Otto the puppy, Round the Daphne table.
More tastemakers:
Daniel Schofield
Xian Zeng’s Magical Prints
Jared Rusten’s Wooded Silhouettes