Terence Woodgate

Terence Woodgate initially trained as a design engineer, however, fascination with purer forms of design led to a decision in the mid-80s to retrain as a furniture designer at the London Guildhall University.

Attracted to the conceptual as well as the hands-on aspect of designing furniture, Woodgate opened his first studio in London in 1988 and began to build his reputation as a thoughtful designer of both style and practical innovation.

As one of the UK's most respected industrial designers, Terence Woodgate has become known for a stripped-down, elegant, modern approach to design with an obsessive attention to detail and manufacture. Merging manufacturing technology with artistic craftsmanship, Woodgate has produced several award-winning designs, ranging from beautifully grained oak consoles to streamlined, upholstered seating to architectural glass tables.

Woodgate works from his studio in East Sussex where he continues to quietly seek new expressions in design. As a designer whose work can appear so firmly based in function and technological details it may be a surprise for some to discover he that he takes much of his inspiration from outside the design world.

In 2003 he was elected a Royal Designer for Industry (RDI). He has received several international design industry awards including the German Red Dot ‘Best of the best’ award and the IF ecology award. In the UK he has won the Observer⁄Elle Decoration design award for furniture and recently a Wallpaper* magazine 2008 design award. Examples of his work are held in the permanent collections of the Museu d’Arts Decoratives, Barcelona and the Victoria & Albert Museum, London.

Graphic Designer Mike Dempsey recorded an interview with Terence Woodgate for his RDInsights series. “Terence is another of us who has overcome difficulty in one area by excelling in another. Hear about that and his unique collaboration with formula one racing car designer John Barnard to produce surface, a four meter long, carbon fibre table” says Mike Dempsey.

Woodgate is a designer of lighting and furniture. A modernist at heart, he is known for his simple, thoughtful and understated designs. Woodgate works from his studio in East Sussex where he continues to quietly seek new expressions in design.

2003 - Named Royal Designer for Industry (RDI)

2003 - German Red Dot ‘Best of the Best’ Award

2003 - IF Ecology Award

2003 - Observer⁄Elle Decoration Design Award for Furniture

2008 - Wallpaper* Magazine Design Award