British wool has shaped the landscapes, farming traditions and craft industries of the UK for centuries. Today, it is inspiring a new generation of designers exploring how natural fibres can be reimagined in contemporary design and sustainable materials.

One of the most exciting examples is Solidwool, a British design company based in Devon that has developed an innovative composite material made from British fleece and bio-resins. Often described as fibreglass made from wool, Solidwool transforms the strong fleeces of Herdwick and Welsh Mountain sheep into beautifully textured furniture and architectural materials.

Solidwool is a company I have greatly admired and followed for many years, long before I started Genevieve Sweeney. Owning one of their chairs for my design desk in the GS studio has long been a quiet dream.

In this interview, we speak with Andy Guard, Creative Director of Solidwool, to explore how the material is made, why British wool is at the heart of their process, and how innovative design can give traditional fibres a new future.

What is Solidwool and how is it made?

Solidwool is a unique, sustainable composite material made using British Wool. Think fibreglass but with wool. Wool is used as the reinforcement, and bio resin as the binder. Every chair, table or sheet is moulded in Devon using Herdwick or Welsh Mountain wool, with all edges finished by hand. Solidwool is a beautiful material with a story that connects people to the land it has come from.

Solidwool is available in natural colourways, Herdwick and Welsh Mountain wool, as well as Solidwool Colour, seven curated colours informed by our environment. In addition to the Hembury Chair, Side Table, and placemats, Solidwool is available as sheet material, offering a unique option for designers looking to introduce organic textures into commercial settings.

Could you tell us the story of how Solidwool came about?

Solidwool was born out of the idea to create something beautiful, that had a purpose, a sustainable design with a link to nature. 

Herdwick – the most iconic breed of the Lake District, was the original inspiration for Solidwool.  An ancient and hardy hill breed, the wool is a by-product of farming, historically used in the UK carpet industry. The wool had fallen out of favour and was considered almost worthless. Searching for a new use for this by-product, we developed a material with a conscience, beauty and soul; turning the way wool is used on its head.

What are the benefits of using wool from Herdwick and Welsh Mountain sheep? 

We utilise British wool from UK-based farms, cutting down our carbon footprint. The fleeces are plentiful, yet there is little demand for the coarse, robust and wiry wool. Visually, they are both beautiful; the Herdwick produces a dark grey composite with lighter guard hairs standing out, whilst the mottled cream, black, grey and brown fibres of the Welsh Mountain fleece form an intricate web of organic tones, revealing a striking marbled effect. The strength, elasticity and texture of the wool is integral to the composition.

The wool fibres give the composite a flexible reinforcement – an unmatchable property for an ergonomic chair for example.

How does your work support UK farmers?

Both breeds are native to the UK and have been for centuries, so it is important to keep these sheep and shepherds in the landscapes in which they belong.  By using these traditional, hardy breeds, we support British farms and reduce the carbon footprint of our product. By sourcing through a small, verified and united supply chain, we ensure that the value of wool remains with the very farmers who are essential to our community.

What exactly are the bio-resins that you combine the wool with to make Solidwool? 

The resins we currently use are classed as bio-resins. They have a 50% bio-based renewable content, sourced from waste streams of other industrial processes, such as wood pulp and bio-fuels production.

How, where and by whom is your furniture made?

The products and the sheet material are all made in our specialist workshop in Devon by our highly skilled team. Solidwool is moulded with the edges of the Hembury Chairs and Tabletops finished by hand. UK-sourced Ash legs are hand-turned to our design by a wood turner in Somerset and finished with a natural, scorched or oiled finish.

What's next for Solidwool? Are there other items you would like to make?

We want to spread the word – we’re still a relatively niche product. Our goal is to make Solidwool the most natural, lowest—impact, and highest quality wool composite material out there. 

We are launching Full Circle - The Recycled Hembury Side Table, which is a collaboration with Roger Oates Design. The limited-edition run of 100 tables utilises recycled waste wool fibres and surplus yarn gathered in the busy Roger Oates Design Workshop.  Each table has its own unique, organic markings, encapsulating the story of the materials within.

We want innovators to use Solidwool as a creative material. It holds so much potential, and we are excited about all the ways it can be used – we look forward to seeing the path Solidwool carves for itself.

What other British brands do you admire?

British flooring brand Roger Oates Design became the custodians of Solidwool in 2020, and we have a real shared respect for wool and a commitment to mindful design. 

Hiut Denim was an early inspiration for us, their ethos on bringing denim production back to Cardigan struck a chord and inspired us to reintroduce working with wool to an ancient wool town in Devon. We have worked with Finisterre and Otter surfboards in the past and continue to admire what they do.

Discover Solidwool and its incredible furniture here.