WillFisher, founder of Jamb,
believes that he will always
be a ‘man with a van’ at heart:
‘I’m still an antiques dealer,
addicted to the thrill of the chase,’ he says. This modest
assessment belies his talent for spotting rare antique
mantelpieces, fire grates, lighting and furniture, and
his role in helping to revive the English country house
aesthetic by unearthing forgotten treasures.
Will set up the business nearly 20 years ago and today,
alongside original finds, exquisite reproductions are his
stock-in-trade. His wife, Charlotte Freemantle, has steered
the company’s marketing and expansion while many of
its designs, such as the Hanging Globes, have become
synonymous with timeless, modern-country interiors.
Many of the pieces that Will scouts out were designed
by British luminaries such as William Kent, Isaac Ware,
Robert Adam and Sir John Soane, but ended up secreted
in buildings across Europe and the US. Will’s love of these
antiques, and unwillingness to part with them, prompted
him to investigate the possibility of reproduction. ‘We
wanted to hang on to a little of the DNA of these special
finds,’ he says. Over time, the couple have harnessed the
skills of artisans who replicate the pieces with integrity.
Recently, Jamb’s workshop has moved to a former tank
factory in Mitcham. It is not the most graceful building,
Will concedes, but he has a soft spot for ‘ugly ducklings’.
The space houses the marble and metal operations, an
extensive fireplace and lighting archive, and Will’s office- a perfect example of his magpie eye. ‘The floor is made
from Dutch cheesemakers’ boards and the chairs are
from the old Reading Room at the British Museum.’
Today, the Pimlico Road showroom and south London
warehouse showcase antiques and reproductions, while
Jamb has expanded further into furniture and lighting
as well as into the US market. It is also the UK source of
fabrics by American designer Michael S Smith.
But it’s still the frisson of the ‘find’ that motivates Will.
‘We’ve just come across a William Kent table originally
sourced by John Fowler for the Clermont Club in Berkeley
Square. On its travels, it ended up in Hugh Hefner’s
mansion. If only these pieces could speak,’ he says.
■Jamb, 95-97 Pimlico Road, London SW1W 8PH,
020 7730 2122, jamb.co.uk.A bolection mantel
being carved in Italian
marble; one of Jamb’s
reproduction kick
lights (below)