Blackbird Bespoke is a sustainable steel furniture workshop in Kent. They work on commission and also produce a variety of tables, mirrors and lighting for sale online. They are very proud of their track record of making furniture in-house for over 60 years. Their highly skilled craftsmen use traditional blacksmithing techniques and apply finishes by hand.
The company makes most of their products from steel. They combine this with brass, glass and mirrors, stone and marble, and velvet upholstery in their products.
The distinctive designs are unique and individual. They feature geometric shapes like hexagons and octahedrons. They have a console table with laser cut steel inspired by the National Stadium in Beijing, China. And another console table inspired by the ancient art of folding paper, Origami. The textures they apply to the steel are just as unique. They feature ripples, patina and distressing with silver, bronze, gold and black finishes.
The sustainability of steel
Steel is the most recycled material worldwide (EY). It is permanent and endlessly reusable, without losing its quality, making it one of the most sustainable materials. Steel is made of iron and carbon. Virgin iron is a finite resource, but once steel is made it can be used and reused.
To be sustainable, steel needs to be made using renewable energy. Traditional steel manufacturing is among the most carbon intensive production processes. Scientists are looking for ways to produce high quality steel with few impurities while using clean energy (ASU).
Using electric arc furnaces to replace blast furnaces is one way to make steel production greener. Blast furnaces use fossil fuels, typically coal to separate the iron and oxygen.
Only 30% of scrap steel can be used in blast furnaces whereas 100% scrap steel can be used in electric arc furnaces (The Conversation). This has the potential to reduce carbon emissions of steel production to 0.67 tonnes of CO₂ per tonne of steel produced if scrap is used as the material. And of course, electric arc furnaces could be run on renewable energy, further reducing the carbon footprint of steel production.
The UK uses 12 million tonnes of steel a year and in 2022 it produced 6 million tonnes, causing 2.4% of the country’s carbon emissions.
The UK government committed last year to spend £500m on an electric arc furnace at Tata Steel’s plant in Wales. The company closed down the fourth and final blast furnace in September, causing a number of job losses. The new furnace is expected to be operational by 2028 (Sky News) and it will cost £1.25bn. British Steel is also spending £1.25bn on decarbonisation. They were granted permission last year for two electric arc furnaces, one at Scunthorpe and one at Teesside. They are now exploring the idea of two EAFs at Scunthorpe, subject to approval. They are currently in discussions with the UK government about the project (BBC).
Sustainable steel furniture
Blackbird Bespoke aims to be net zero by 2035. They are working through Blue Patch’s Let’s Do Net Zero programme to reduce their carbon footprint. To do this, they will be sourcing their materials carefully and working on designs for furniture that incorporate recycled materials. They produce all their work in-house, which saves on shipping emissions on imported furniture.
Blackbird Bespoke produces custom furniture for hospitality and commercial interior design projects as well as making products for the general public. Their bespoke furniture and accessories can be ordered via their website: www.blackbird-bespoke.com.
