The year started full pelt with the planning of our Scottish Launch in Edinburgh after successfully planning and hosting our London Launch last year. The Scottish Launch was held in March at Custom Lane, an art gallery in Leith, Edinburgh.

With a bespoke AUTHOR gin cocktail in hand, canapés and the live DJ playing the smooth sounds of Duke Ellington through his original 1920’s gramophone, the atmosphere was set for guests to peruse through the different room schemes that were inspired by AUTHOR’s various collections. Guests also had a chance to preview new pieces that launched on our website in August.

The AUTHOR team was thrilled to guide guests through the exhibition and were delighted to welcome some of our makers at the launch who were on hand to explain the provenance behind their exquisite pieces.

We launched a new collection with pieces from new makers in August that was inspired by the original dandy himself, Oscar Wilde. The Wilde Collection is a space for relaxed entertaining, embracing opulent objets d’art and sumptuous rich hues. A bold yet refined sense of flair, injecting colour and beauty into after-hours living.

The collection features a lovely range of silver and tableware such as the gorgeous Flamingo Vases and the stunning Poetry Plates. From wallpaper to sculpture, lighting to leatherwork, the Wilde Collection, like our other collections, is a true testament to the highest quality that is British craftsmanship, featuring some of AUTHOR’s own pieces that we have designed and commissioned such as the Tusk Wall Light and the Chamfered Floor Length Mirror.

2018 featured the launch of not only our Wilde Collection but also the reveal of many brand-new pieces from new and existing makers in our online collections, expanding the range of choice in lighting, barware, accessories and furniture which will continue to grow even further in 2019. It also saw new designers approaching AUTHOR directly so they could be featured in our collections and join the AUTHOR maker community.

As well as our Instagram account hitting that all important 1K follower mark, we also welcomed our newest member, Iona, who has been an integral part of the team. We are delighted to be able to expand the AUTHOR team in order to maintain our high standard of customer service as well as concentrate on product development.

We were thrilled to collaborate with The Times writer, Gabriella Bennett, on her wonderful book, The Art of Coorie. AUTHOR was delighted to be featured in the Christmas chapter on how to create a Coorie Christmas with gift wrapping tips. We have certainly embraced the term Coorie, which is the Scottish art of deriving comfort, wellbeing and energy from wild landscapes and convivial interiors.

Last but certainly not least, we were overjoyed to be able to launch our first charity giving campaign this Christmas, #abaubleforchristmas. All the proceeds from each gorgeous glass bauble, handblown by Elin who is a very talented glassblower in Stirling, are going to be donated to Centrepoint, a charity that aims to end youth homelessness in Britain by providing young homeless people with accommodation, health support and life skills to get them back into education, training and employment.

We want to thank everyone who ordered these beautiful baubles in helping us support such a worthy cause this Christmas. We do hope your gorgeous bauble brings you joy for many Christmases to come.

We cannot wait to see what 2019 brings such as new, unique, handmade pieces from talented, new makers across the British Isles to our ever expanding collections. We want to thank everyone for their continuous support; all the fabulous makers and designers who allow us to showcase their stunning work and to all the wonderful purchasers who have embraced our brand, we hope we are able to continue bringing you joy with beautiful British craftsmanship.