Bill Amberg Studio and Elizabeth Roberts Architects new collaboration

Bill Amberg Studio and New York-based Elizabeth Roberts Architects proudly present their first ever collaboration – The Noble – a dining chair designed with the intention to fill the gap between formality and casual comfort.

Crafted in Somerset, the chair features a robust solid steel rod frame with the strongest welded joints and hot-pressed feet, finished in a bespoke set of enamelled colourways. The seat and backrest are made from vegetable-tanned saddlery leather, cut from the shoulder panel to retain its natural grain. The angle of the seat and back is carefully designed for maximum comfort, with canvas lining to prevent stretching.

Each leather panel is individually hand-stitched to the frame using a traditional twin needle saddle stitch, ensuring durability and a rich patina that develops over time. Entirely made in the UK, the chair is crafted by local engineers, reducing transport emissions and ensuring a tightly controlled production process.

Both Bill Amberg Studio and Elizabeth Roberts Architects share a deep respect for craftsmanship and a drive to push design boundaries. Their forward-thinking approach values progression over nostalgia, seeking to refine and elevate materials and construction techniques for contemporary homes.

“People are looking for more lightness in their homes—lightness of touch, lightness of feel, more air and space. This approach led us to simplify the chair beautifully, with an emphasis on precise detailing. From the thickness of the steel barto the height of the rails, the special feet we developed, and the hand-stitched leatherwork, every element contributes to a refined, lasting, and elegant piece of furniture,” comments Bill Amberg.

Vegetable-tanned leather is a hallmark of Bill Amberg Studio, chosen for its sustainable production method—using only tree bark and water in a centuries-old process. The material’s honesty is reflected in The Noble, a chair designed with no hidden fastenings or mechanical tricks—just pure, pared-down craftsmanship.

“The chair has an innocence about it—everything is in front of you. There’s nothing unnecessary, just a quiet, elegantpresence,” Amberg comments.

The studio is currently refining additional colourways and developing a frame with arms to expand the collection. Constructed from a solid metal bar and reinforced with a 15-ounce canvas, The Noble is a testament to timeless design, blending strength, simplicity, and artisanal quality.

“There is a real shared sense of aesthetic, craftsmanship, elegance, peacefulness, functionality, and beauty. Elizabeth and I are completely aligned in our vision,” comments Amberg.

ABOUT BILL AMBERG STUDIO

Bill Amberg Studio has been at the forefront of leather innovation for 40 years, and stands today as an industry leader in bespoke leather products, interiors and furniture. Bringing together artisans from the worlds of saddlery, bag making, bookbinding and other forms of fine leather craft, the studio has a mission to explore the aesthetic and material possibilities of leather, while also proudly holding our practices and those of our partner tanneries and suppliers to the industry’s highest ethical and sustainability standards.

Work includes bags and accessories – with the Bill Amberg iconic ‘Rocket Bag’ in the permanent collection at both London’s V&A and New York’s Metropolitan Museum of Art – through to timeless bespoke furniture and interiors for high-end private residences for Sir David Chipperfield, Veere Grenney and Amin Taha, commercial projects such as the Fine Watch department at Harrods, as well as cultural institutions around the globe, including the Royal Academy of Arts and the Queen’s Diamond Jubilee Galleries at Westminster Abbey.

For more information, visit billamberg.com | @billambergstudio

ABOUT ELIZABETH ROBERTS ARCHITECTS

Elizabeth Roberts Architects is an architecture and design studio led by AD100 Architect and tastemaker, Elizabeth Roberts, AIA. The New York-based firm is renowned for its genre-defying work on both historic New York City residences and new ground-up buildings across the residential, retail, commercial and cultural spaces, and excels in blending historic preservation with contemporary design, ensuring each project reflects its unique context as well as the client’s vision. Above all, the studio is committed to creating meaningful, responsive spaces that are functional, reflective of their surroundings, and, most importantly, a joy to occupy.

Photo credit; Matthew Williams Photography

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