Category: Journal

We often talk about the inspiration we find in Scotland’s rugged and majestic scenery. If you have watched our film of Rannoch Moor you will have been momentarily transported to a staggering wilderness of mountains and lochs and know exactly what we mean.

But it would be negligent to live in Edinburgh and overlook the beauty that is on our very doorstep! Immediately on the southern edge of the city are the Pentland Hills. Their rolling hill-tops with panoramic views of the city and beyond have inspired the likes of Robert Louis Stevenson (for whom, like ourselves, they were the “hills of home”), Walter Scott, Allan Ramsay and James Ballantyne.

The south-facing slopes have a very special place in our own hearts at Fisk and with the “bleating lambs and sheep, Of brawling torrents foaming deep” we hope to have captured their spirit in our Pentland Dining Chair. With such a clear mental picture from our many walks, sledging expeditions and picnics, the design was quite instinctive and the initial sketches came easily. Our aim was to find that sweet spot where comfort meets style, practicality meets individuality, and throughout the production of the prototype we finessed each element such as the breadth of the back rest, the angle of the legs, the depth of the seat, until we had achieved this.

As the wonderful A. A. Gill sagely put it, “Every meal is an opportunity for adventure”. With the understated glamour of our Pentland Dining Chair and its balance of rural charm and urban chic, we hope that we have produced the ideal seat from which to launch your own adventures as you come together with friends and family to share food, memories and fun.

Tonight’s the night (if you are very lucky) that you will be celebrating both our national poet and dish at a Burns Supper!

The very first Burns Supper was held in 1801 and it’s a tradition that the Scots have upheld ever since. Burns Night has been exported around the world wherever an expat Scot has gained a foothold; with Robert Burns and the haggis themselves long-established, universally recognised Scottish icons.

Here at Fisk, like the Bard himself, much of our inspiration comes from the romanticism of the Scottish landscape and Scotland’s architectural and cultural environment. Here Callum, our co-founder, is celebrating Burns with the help of the “Great chieftain o’ the puddin’-race”. Don’t be put off by its description as “gushing entrails”, we promise it’s delicious and of course a wee drop of the amber dew always helps! He is doing so from the comfort of our Pentland Dining Chair and supported by our Berriedale Side Table – both of which are inspired by the landscapes from which they take their names.

If you are excited about the prospect of a Burns Supper but not quite sure what is going on (we don’t blame you), we have reproduced the Address to the Haggis here, along with a handy translation. Enjoy!

Last year was such an exciting year for us here at Fisk.

Establishing our London presence with a dedicated showroom in the heart of Chelsea’s design district has been a huge development for us. While our hearts and inspiration remain firmly rooted in Scotland, we have enjoyed being much closer to so many of our lovely customers, old and new.

Amy in particular has loved getting to know you through visits to your showrooms and by welcoming you to our Lots Road base. Being able to share the inspiration and tell the story behind our designs face-to-face is so much more evocative. And nothing beats being able to see our pieces in the flesh. Seeing our beautiful new brochure come off the press was another thrill and if by some stroke of misfortune you still haven’t seen it please do just get in touch with Amy for a copy – or, even better, have her talk you through it.

We were very proud to have our Howard Table selected by the fabulous Joy Moyler for the interior design event of the summer, the WOW!house at Chelsea Harbour. And what an honour it was to meet Joy herself. 

Witnessing the birth of our pieces is always a nervous but joyful moment and towards the end of the year we launched three brand new designs which we know you will love. Who wouldn’t like to sit back and survey the scene from our magnificent Cuillin Swivel Chair; or feast in stylish comfort in a luxuriously upholstered Pentland Dining Chair; while our Berriedale Side Table manages to combine Caithness’ wild coastline with a certain mid-century coolness.

As ever, our thanks go to our wonderful customers without whom we would not exist and our talented teams of artisans who help us bring our designs to life.

We are looking forward to an equally exciting 2024 with new designs already in the works and many an idea already on the drawing board. Watch this space!

In the meantime, best wishes for a healthy, happy and prosperous 2024 from the whole Fisk team.

Callum & Jackie

The much-anticipated WOW!house has opened its doors to great acclaim at Chelsea Harbour.

The WOW!house is a unique 500 sqm show house , with 18 rooms created by some of the world’s leading interior designers working alongside globally recognised design brands and suppliers. We are incredibly proud that, having been given carte blanche to decorate the WOW!house Dining Room, A-list New York interior designer Joy Moyler chose our Howard Side Table to feature in her fabulous room.

Joy explained

“the starting point for my Dining Room is just an environment that is beautiful, simply done, but the textiles and the finishes are all encompassing – to hold your engagement so you can enjoy your visitors’ company and linger into the wee hours of the morning.” She commented that she selected the Howard Side Table as the “perfect placement for a ruby red phone in my Tattler space.”

We had a blast at the launch and you too can be wowed from Monday 5th June until Thursday 6th July at Chelsea Harbour Design Centre.

We really enjoy working with interior designers to produce bespoke Fisk pieces specifically for a particular setting. Working alongside Ampersand Interiors on the new boutique hotel The Whittling House in Alnmouth we designed two bespoke Arrans and two tailor-made versions of our brand new Rum chairs.

The Whittling House, brainchild of award-winning restaurateur Richard Sim (of The Potted Lobster fame) and entrepreneur Tom Leslie, engaged Ampersand Interiors to bring some laid-back luxury to their new project on Northumbria’s beautiful coast.  Their brief was that they “wanted to create an atmosphere where visitors can feel comfortable and at home whether they’re in their flip flops after a day at the beach, or dressed up to celebrate a special occasion”. Ampersand have been so successful in achieving this that they have been shortlisted in The International Hotel & Property Awards 2021.

Our Arran chair was selected as the ideal piece for two specific spaces: the first a beautiful bedroom complete with indulgent en-suite and stunning 4-poster bed. Often described as more of a hug  than a chair the Arran was perfect for a dressing drink or a relaxing nightcap. Alongside our taupe sheepskin we upholstered the sides and back in a gorgeous copper fabric from Warwick which tied in seamlessly with the oranges and coppers in the room, designed to reflect the bracken-covered countryside. In addition the legs were subtly limed to match the fabulous four-poster.

In the public areas there was a need for a chair as a resting place between the entrance, the bar and the dining areas.  The Arran was the ideal piece with the scale to provide a focal point and the comfort to ensure this was a genuinely useful and usable stopping point and not just an “accessory”.  The contrast fabric was selected to work with the soft furnishings in these areas, on this occasion a lovely Osborne & Little fabric. In the dining room the space beside the striking double-sided fireplace was tight but crying out for fire-side seating. Our new Rum chair is the neatest design in our range and fitted like a glove. While usually fully upholstered in ivory sheepskin we produced these in taupe to continue the theme of the nearby Arran, along with a matching kilim contrast fabric. Whether for an after-dinner snort or an intimate, inter-course chat, the Rums provide a great place to perch!

Both Ampersand and The Whittling House were wonderful to work with and it is nice to think that our contribution to the splendid interiors may have played a small part in the project being shortlisted!

We were delighted to recently meet with Beverley Brown of The Herald in our showroom. She was such an informed and enthusiastic interviewer and her wonderful and generous article perfectly captures what we are all about.

“Historically, the visual arts has been well endowed with power couples – Ray and Charles Eames, Aino and Alvar Aalto, Hand and Florence Knoll to name but a few whose furniture designs continue to be icons of desire in the modern world. Worthy of joining the list is Edinburgh-based power couple Callum and Jackie Fisken, who soft-launched their fledgling company Fisk a year ago and are now gearing up to launch it later this month to the world at the Decorex international interiors trade show in London.

Photographs can convey many things but when it comes to Fisk’s inaugural collection of bespoke, made-to-order furniture and rugs, seeing has to be repeated by repeated touching to appreciate the remarkable fusion of form and function that reflects a new way of seeing Scotland’s architectural and cultural environment.

The husband and wife creative duo are best known as the driving force behind Ampersand, the interior design business they founded 25 years ago to tap into their individual skills, Callum as a furniture designer, Jackie an interior designer. As time went on Callum found he was increasingly spending more time running the business than designing. “What turned things round was me suddenly being inspired to make a side table, followed by a visit to Copenhagen where we were both struck by the idea of a chair upholstered in sheepskin…and suddenly pieces started to fall into place and Fisk was born”, says Callum, who named the company in homage to his Scandinavian roots.”

Continue to read here from page 24: The Herald: Luxury Edinburgh