With Chelsea Flower Show in full swing, we thought it the perfect time for a look at our steam bent history would at the glorious flower show. From award winning stands to featuring in breath taking gardens, we have had a lot of fun at the world’s most prestigious garden event…

Gwenver Garden Room - 2017

Our first ever steam bent stand, the Gwenver Garden Room set the standard for us. Designed to perfectly compliment the Tom Raffield range of handcrafted steam bent furniture and lighting, the Gwenver Garden room inspired a moment to be with nature. Wining four gold stars from the RHS for its exhibitor stand for excellence of presentation, the Gwenver Garden Room certainly left guests talking.

We also created an immersive lighting installation in 2017. Visitors were able to catch a glimpse of more than 80 of sculptural pendant lights suspended in the canopy of the Artisan Retreat area, illuminating some of Chelsea Flower Show’s most prominent areas.

Inspired by Nature, shaped by steam - 2018

A steam bent centre of attention, our 2018 stand was awarded the highest prize, of five stars – the first time a furniture and lighting brand had been invited to exhibit there.

The striking pavilion and garden were an enthralling, sensory experience for those who wander amongst its many unfurling steam bent sections, inviting benches, archways, and elegant, nature-inspired harmonising twists. The team worked very hard to deliver a breathtaking display and it has been attracting lots of attention from visitors from across the globe and even some famous faces!

The spiralling display also debuted our innovative, steam bent indoor planters from The Green Range. Thanks to the great reception of this handcrafted planter range, we have been able to nurture and grow with range.

Force of Nature Stand - 2019

From showcasing our signature pendant lighting designs in Raymond Blanc's Jardin Blanc restaurant and winning a five-star award for our Force of Nature Garden Stand to our Tressa Planter being a finalist for the RHS Product of the Year Award 2019 and of course, meeting so many of our lovely customers face to face – the CFS 2019 was one for the TR history books.

Our Force of Nature Garden Stand was built from recycled materials with the steam bent oak re-purposed from our 2018 Chelsea Flower Show Pavilion. Furthermore, elements of the design were re-homed or adapted into further projects after the event, including donating the plants to the RHS Campaign for School Gardening programme that support schools to develop and actively use a school garden.

Full Circle Garden Stand – 2020

Although cancelled because of Covid-19, we had grand plans for Chelsea Flower Show 2020.

Drawing synergy from our rural Cornish studios and highlighting the importance of reducing the human impact on the planet through caring for nature, sustainable design practises and promoting a conscious lifestyle, our 2020 stand was planned to bring a spiralling steam bent wooden pavilion with a large-scale sculptural bench and a thought-provoking woodland regeneration planting scheme to Main Avenue.

Limitless wooden curves were to appear to evolve out of the surrounding undergrowth and trees, symbolising the connection to nature. Meandering its way through the ‘woodland regeneration’ meadow garden, the bench was expertly designed in collaboration with RHS Chelsea Flower Show Gold Medallist, John Ward, and depicts how plentiful natural materials have the ability to both inspire design and become physical resources that don’t cost the earth.

Yeo Valley Garden – 2021

For the first time ever, Chelsea Flower Show 2021 was an Autumnal show. With different flowers in bloom, nature provided us with warmer, richer colours than the late springtime Chelsea Flower Show would normally display. In 2021 we’re delighted to be working alongside the gold medal awarded Yeo Valley Organic Show Garden, designed by Tom Massey.

Mirroring the diversity of life found on Yeo Valley’s organic dairy farm and garden in Somerset, the garden featured a range of habitats and plants to encourage wildlife and support pollinators. It offered plenty of inspiring ideas on how gardeners can give nature a helping hand in their own gardens. The Yeo Valley team were also shining a light on the importance of soil health – something that is often overlooked - and the role soil plays in tackling climate change and global biodiversity collapse.

We were honoured to be commissioned to design and craft a unique sculptural, egg-shaped structure for this amazing garden. Suspended above a flowing stream, our steam bent design is a welcome space to sit and observe the surrounding garden landscape. Curved dry-stone walls divide the site into distinct habitat zones. The boundary walls are dry-stone topped with mixed native hedging plants, representing the importance and diversity of British hedgerows.

Blue Forest Treehouse – 2022

Whilst you won’t have found a mesmerising steam bent Tom Raffield garden at RHS Chelsea Flower Show 2022, there was still a chance to see our handcrafted wooden lighting, furniture and accessories at the Fairmont Windsor Park Treehouse by Blue Forest.

With a like-minded ethos and innovative designs, we have enjoyed partnering with Blue Forest several times over the years. They set out to reconnect people with nature and allow the outside world to shine whilst beautiful memories are made. Every treehouse Blue Forest craft uses timber which is sourced from sustainably managed forests and each unique design respects the environment in which it sits. We are extremely proud to have a selection of our lighting and homeware designs showcased in their spectacular, one-of-a-kind treehouse on Main Avenue.

Whilst we are not featuring in this year's Chelsea Flower Show, who knows what the future holds...

Posted: 25.05.23
Updated: 25.05.23