JOURNEY
My Favourite Hour
A conversation with designer John Astbury.
On creativity, family life, and the moments in between.
As part of Between Hours – our exhibition during this year's 3daysofdesign – we asked designer John Astbury about the rhythms that shape his days. From slow breakfasts and bicycle rides through Stockholm to family dinners, music, and creative routines, the conversation moves through the moments between work and leisure - and the hour he returns to most often.
How does a good day usually begin for you?
Ideally, no alarm, but that’s rare. Sunlight, coffee, and a croissant. Slow starts are special precisely because they are rare, so my ideal is a Saturday morning breakfast. There is no rush. It can be small and simple or long and more involved, but it’s the most relaxed time of the week.
I always seem to be moving at a pace and doing 99 different things, so that moment of taking time at the start of the day is golden. More typically, it’s a quick breakfast, juggling kids and backpacks before getting on the bike to work. That morning ride has become an important part of my day. It clears the head and helps switch my focus towards work.
Is there a particular moment in the day you tend to look forward to?
I really enjoy the time when everyone in the family returns home. To spend some time cooking, talking, and hearing about what has happened in everyone’s day. Kids wandering in and out of the kitchen looking for food, but also stopping to chat. That feels like home. Sometimes it’s also a nightmare, but I am an optimist, so I still always look forward to that moment.
Do your days follow a structure, or do they unfold more intuitively?
I have very little structure in how I go through a day. Most of what I do – and when I do it – is based on how it feels at that moment. If I start a sketch and it feels good, you just want to continue, even if you are meant to be doing something else. It’s hard to stop. So I am very unfocused and quite happy to get caught up in the moment. “How does it feel?” is everything to my work. I find a lot of joy in letting those unstructured moments happen.
Coffee is a constant and welcome distraction, although those breaks also provide some structure to the day. It is mostly anarchy, though. When the focus is on, it’s very focused. Some days, certain tasks simply click, and I tend to give in to that rather than trying to force something else.
Music is perhaps the closest thing I have to a routine. It connects my head with the work. I put the headphones on and disappear into my own world. When I need to concentrate, it has to be instrumental music though. Otherwise, I drift too far into the music itself.
“I probably do more sketches outside the studio, in the in-between moments – on trains, in cafés, or during downtime when the head is not actively trying to focus.”
Where do you feel most comfortable working?
My studio is that place 90% of the time. It has everything I need and feels like a second home. But sometimes you need a change. Ideas can be scribbled down anywhere. I probably do more sketches outside the studio, in the in-between moments – on trains, in cafés, or during downtime when the head is not actively trying to focus. That is often when the drawing seems to happen. Turning those ideas into something physical is another matter. That always happens in the studio.
After a day of working, do you prefer quiet moments or being around other people?
People every time. I appreciate the quiet moments, but they do not sustain me in the same way. The slower and quieter points of the day are essential for balance, but I feel energised by being with others. I need the social more than being still.
How do you usually unwind at the end of the day?
Cooking is my way of switching from work to living. It’s making and engaging, but it feels very different from work. It helps slow the mind down again. The kitchen is a different kind of workspace, but I’m still making things, still listening to music. It just comes with a little more wine.
“It’s hard to say an exact hour, but maybe somewhere between six and seven. It’s a transitional time. The day’s work is done, and that hour becomes about what’s next.”
Do you have a favourite hour of the day?
While lazy mornings are good, and that first hint of the day is lovely, I would say early evening fits me best. It’s hard to say an exact hour, but maybe somewhere between six and seven. It’s a transitional time. The day’s work is done, and that hour becomes about what’s next. It might be sitting outside in the evening sun, stepping into the warmth of the house in winter, going out, hosting, or simply cooking. That period is when the rest of the day is made. It is about the potential of what’s still to come.
Designs by John Astbury
120 x 120
Light oak
Brown-stained oak
Black-stained oak