The duo behind Pedersen + Lennard invited us into their ‘dream workshop’ in Maitland, where fresh oak scents and fine-tuned grains welcome you to the authentic experience. Here, local makers thrive — a central tenet of the minimal yet somewhat playful furniture brand. You can smell the commitment to Cape craftmanship. Over the last few years, the brand has sky-rocketed, with its Scandinavian–South African design and signature cross making it instantly recognisable. From Nando’s to the V&A Waterfront, Pedersen + Lennard has found a place for their designs in everything from private residences to retail — with pieces made to last many lifetimes.

Scape spoke to the brand’s founders, Luke Pedersen and James Lennard, to learn more about the brand and its rise to icon status. 

The cross that P+L is associated with is simple but so distinctly yours. What is the story behind this? 

JL: We needed something to join our names, and we didn’t want to use an ‘and’ sign, and it turns out that it’s also a great cutaway for material because everything just falls away and leaves the logo behind. It can create cool shadows.

LP: It’s easy to recognise. We didn’t want a flashy logo. We didn’t want words because our names are quite long already. And we find we actually design for the logo: it’s not just something we put on afterwards; we consider it part of the piece. Our thinking is if we see one of our pieces from far away, you should know that it’s ours by the proportion and the overall style of the piece. Then the logo, when you get close enough, is confirmation.

What influences your designs?

JL: Exercise. All of my best ideas come to me when I’m riding my bike or surfing or running or whatever I’m doing. I think I’m so surrounded by stuff, I don’t really look beyond these walls for inspiration. In previous years we used to look at magazines, but you just get bombarded and end up sketching something that somebody else has already designed.

LP: I’m driven mostly by curiosity. I’m super curious, all the time, about different things, materials, processes. What could this be? That’s the question I ask myself a lot. I think I’ve learned a lot over the years from Enzo Miri and his whole way of thinking around direct experimentation. It’s very much a process of hands-on sketching and playing. And I’ve learnt a lot through that.

All of your pieces are created in-house at your factory here in Cape Town. Why is it important for you to manufacture locally?

JL: I find it so inspiring that we’ve got everything here. We used to outsource a lot of our production, and it made the process so scattered and complicated. Now it’s all under two roofs; we can do anything we want with a click of a button. I think anyone who has an affinity for production can understand that the way we work is unique, and that’s what makes it so special.

LP: It’s like a dream workshop. We’re really trying to address some of the ways manufacturing has been done in South Africa in the past. And, unfortunately, we’ve got a tough legacy to change. We really value our people and treat everyone with respect — it’s really the basics that you think are normal in these environments that unfortunately aren’t. And a lot of people don’t understand how obsessed we are with quality. Even the smallest thing we make here is touched by virtually everyone in the business, from the designers in the offices right through to the factory; it goes through so many hands and so much care at every step.

Is there a piece that stands out for you — either as a favourite or because of how it came together?

LP: The Osaka Chair. It came out on a Friday afternoon in one moment of inspiration for me. We’ve got a very old Italian pipe bending machine, which is my favourite. It obviously didn’t come out in that afternoon; it was stewing for a long time, but it just came together in one go. I’m always amazed at the fact that that is possible.

How do you incorporate sustainable practices into your design process?

LP: For me, it’s a lot more about rationality than the buzzword of sustainability. We have a very circular system of reducing waste where our sawdust gets turned into compost mulch and we design products with our waste material. And while these are buzzwords and good things to do, it’s more about a rational way of production. It makes sense to utilise your resources to the maximum.

What do you hope the brand’s legacy will be?

LP: I’ve always been a deep believer in the value of good design. And by value, I mean what brings value everywhere: to people, to the environment, to socio-economic change. I think production is a great job creator. It’s also the way to train and upskill people. So, I think, looking at our product in say, 20 or 30 years’ time, someone will have a vintage piece, and they’ll trace it back to this factory, and they’ll think, ‘Wow, this is an amazing level of detail and quality.’ And they would see the culture, the people, the training — you don’t make the products we make without it. And we have a lot of fun along the way. 

JL: For me, like, even just knowing that the brand, the two of us, our team, design furniture that’s going to last for many, many years to come is enough. Whether it stops at some point, whether it carries on with Luke’s oldest son or whoever it might be. It’s about what we’re doing right now. And that’s actually enough.