NAMEPLAQUES

In both rural and urban locations, house names are becoming increasingly commonplace: machine-cut in stone, using standard fonts. At best, they impart their information in a clear straightforward manner. But, invariably, they are uniform, lifeless and lack character.

When I began designing and cutting letterforms 20 years ago, house-names for friends were among my first commissions. Necessarily, they were (and still are) small projects, but they continue to hold a fascination, despite the broadening scope of subsequent work. Each one has to be unique: designed to reflect the character of the house, its occupants, or both. Whilst the tone of the design should never be strident, the finished stone must be perfectly legible at some distance, or it's not doing its job.

Uniqueness and legibility. These are narrow parameters, nonetheless they admit a constant variety of form, texture and invention. Endlessly satisfying! Here are just a few:

 

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