Isokon Plus
Isokon Plus is a London-based plywood furniture manufacturer (operated by VG&P Ltd, founded 1931) that handmakes chairs, tables, and storage in small batches at its East London workshop. It sells direct-to-consumer globally via its Shopify store to design-conscious homeowners and select institutions.
- Company typePrivate
- Founded1931
- HeadquartersLondon, United Kingdom
- Headcount1–10
- GTM typeB2C
- OfferingHardware or Manufacturing
What Isokon Plus does
Isokon Plus is the trading identity of VG&P Ltd, a privately held London-based furniture manufacturer founded in 1931 that specialises in plywood production. The company operates a single workshop in East London where all products are handmade in small batches using giant manual presses and proprietary plywood manipulation techniques refined over nearly a century. Its catalogue comprises roughly 25-30 core SKUs across chairs, tables, and storage, with prices ranging from £230 (Isokon Gull desk organiser) to £6,995 (Wing Unit credenza), all made to order with 8-10 week lead times.
Revenue is generated almost entirely through direct-to-consumer sales via a Shopify-powered e-commerce storefront (isokon.furniture), with UK mainland delivery offered free of charge and international shipping available on request. Within London (inside the M25) the company provides white-glove delivery including unpacking and installation, whereas mainland UK deliveries are front-door only. A modest secondary channel exists through bespoke commissions for institutional clients such as the Bodleian Libraries at Oxford University and Portsmouth Cathedral, and historically for hospitality venues including the Isobar and Soho Brewing Company. Marketing is concentrated on the website, an Instagram presence (@isokon.furniture), and an email newsletter.
The product line is characterised by minimalism, material efficiency, and a mono-material birch approach. Isokon's competitive positioning rests on a Bauhaus design heritage (Walter Gropius, Marcel Breuer, Moholy Nagy in the 1930s) combined with ongoing co-development partnerships with contemporary designers, notably Barber & Osgerby since the 1990s, Jasper Morrison (2021 Iso-Lounge Chair), and Foster + Partners Industrial Design (2025 Join collection). The company owns no disclosed external funding, operates without a parent company, and shows no subsidiaries, acquisitions, or public-market activity.
Isokon Plus firmographics
Firmographics- Name
- Isokon Plus
- Legal name
- VG&P Ltd
- Website
- https://isokonplus.com
- Company type
- Private
- Founded year
- 1931
- Operating status
- Operating
- Headcount range
- 1–10 employees
- Short description
- Isokon Plus is a London-based plywood furniture manufacturer (operated by VG&P Ltd, founded 1931) that handmakes chairs, tables, and storage in small batches at its East London workshop. It sells direct-to-consumer globally via its Shopify store to design-conscious homeowners and select institutions.
- Ownership category
- akta.pro rank
Where Isokon Plus is headquartered
LocationHeadquarters
- HQ city
- London
- HQ country
- United Kingdom
- HQ region
- Europe
Offices2 records
Markets served
Isokon Plus business model
Business model- GTM type
- B2C
- Offering type
- Hardware or Manufacturing
- Cost components
- Personnel, Operations, Supply Chain, Technology or R&D, Marketing or Sales, Infrastructure
Revenue model
- Furniture Product Sales: One-time sale of plywood furniture products including chairs, tables, storage units, and accessories. Products are made to order with 8-10 week lead times. Pricing ranges from approximately £230 for small items like the Isokon Gull desk organiser to £6,995 for larger pieces like the Wing Unit.
Pricing tiers
| Model | Billing | Price |
|---|---|---|
| Unit Pricing | Pay-as-you-go | Individual furniture pieces ranging from £230 to £6,995 |
Go-to-market motion1 record
Distribution channels2 records
Marketing channels3 records
Isokon Plus product offering
Product offeringCore offering
Isokon Plus designs, manufactures and sells handmade modernist plywood furniture — including chairs, tables, storage units, and accessories — at its East London workshop and ships globally through direct-to-consumer e-commerce. Products are made-to-order with 8–10 week lead times, with prices ranging from approximately £230 for small items (e.g. Isokon Gull desk organiser) to £6,995 for larger pieces (e.g. Wing Unit). The collection draws on iconic 1930s Bauhaus-era designs alongside ongoing collaborations with contemporary designers such as Barber & Osgerby, Jasper Morrison, and Foster + Partners.
Product overview
Isokon Plus is a London-based furniture making company specializing in plywood production since 1931. The company offers a comprehensive collection of plywood furniture pieces including chairs (seating, dining chairs, lounge chairs, armchairs, and stools), tables (dining tables, coffee tables, nesting tables), and storage units (bookcases, desks, benches, storage cabinets). The collection is characterized by minimalism, material efficiency, and innovative construction techniques. Products exploit plywood's structural strength while celebrating its inherent lightness and flexibility. The company combines traditional hand-making skills with modern technology, with all designs carefully handmade in small batch production at their East London workshop. Notable designer collaborations include Marcel Breuer, Walter Gropius, Moholy Nagy, Egon Riss, Ernest Race, Barber & Osgerby, Jasper Morrison, and Foster + Partners.
Differentiator
Problem solved
Functional benefit
Products and services
- Ballot Chair Slender stacking dining chair made from layers of aeroply veneer with a minimal profile resembling a ballot box slot; designed by Barber & Osgerby for individual consumers and hospitality buyers.
- Bodleian Libraries Chair Reading chair designed for Oxford University libraries, featuring vertical timber elements, sled base and generous seat with comfortable backrest; for institutional and academic buyers.
- Bottleship Two Multi-functional plywood storage piece with compartment, shelves and tabletop, originally designed by Ernest Race in 1963 and revived in 2015; for residential and hospitality buyers.
- Cut-Out Armchair Experimental Marcel Breuer dining armchair using radically efficient sheet plywood, with side panels cut from sheet material supporting a curved seat and backrest; for design-conscious consumers.
- Cut-Out Chair Experimental Marcel Breuer dining chair using radically efficient sheet plywood, designed to maximise material and minimise production costs; for design-conscious consumers.
- Flight Stool Durable stool made from a single piece of 11mm formed birch plywood, originally created by Barber & Osgerby for Soho Brewing Company; for residential and hospitality buyers.
- Home Dining Table Barber & Osgerby solid-wood dining table with gently curving corners and tapering legs; designed for multipurpose use in residential and hospitality settings.
- Isokon Dining Table Marcel Breuer plywood dining table that is extremely light yet strong and durable; originally used at The Isobar Restaurant and Club. For residential and hospitality buyers.
- Isokon Gull Plywood desk organiser by Egon Riss with a curved profile reminiscent of a bird in flight; can be freestanding or wall-mounted.
- Isokon Long Chair Iconic Marcel Breuer plywood reclining chair among the most famous furniture designs of the twentieth century; for design-conscious residential buyers.
- Isokon Nesting Tables Minimalist Marcel Breuer plywood nesting tables cut and formed from a single piece of 11mm birch plywood; for residential buyers.
- Isokon Short Chair
Companies that use Isokon Plus
Customer profileNamed customers4 records
Segments4 records
Ideal customer profiles4 records
Isokon Plus technology and API
TechnologyTechnology focussed No
API detail
- Has API
- No
- API docs
- API detail
Core technology
AI maturity
App detail
Feature3 records
Isokon Plus partnerships and signals
Strategic signalPartnerships
Eight partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.
- Foster + Partners Industrial DesigncoreFoster + Partners Industrial Design studio created the Join Chair and Join Tables collection, featuring distinctive geometry and moulded plywood construction designed in 2025.
- Jasper MorrisoncoreJasper Morrison challenged the limits of bent plywood's strength in the Iso-Lounge Chair design, creating an elegantly cantilevered chair engineered to give the impression of a single curved piece of wood.
- Barber & OsgerbycoreWhen Isokon Plus was established in the 1990s as a vehicle for new design, Barber & Osgerby took over where Breuer left off, beginning a productive relationship that created designs like the Loop Table (1996), Flight Stool (1998), and Home Table (2000).
- Ernest RaceminorBritish designer Ernest Race redesigned two of Isokon's pre-war products in 1963: the Penguin Donkey (becoming Penguin Donkey Two) and the Bottleship (becoming Bottleship Two).
- Marcel BreuercoreMarcel Breuer was a Bauhaus alumnus who joined Isokon as Chief Designer. In just two years (1935-1937), he created the most iconic Isokon furniture designs including the Long Chair, Short Chair, and Nesting Tables.
- Walter GropiuscoreWalter Gropius, founder of the Bauhaus school, found safe haven in London and became Chief Controller of Design at Isokon Furniture Company, bringing his revolutionary design philosophy to the company.
- Moholy NagycoreAnother Bauhaus alumnus who collaborated with Isokon during the frenetic period of furniture invention in the mid-1930s, contributing to the company's innovative design legacy.
- Lawn Road Flats (The Isokon Building)minorThe Lawn Road Flats, aka The Isokon Building, was a true icon of contemporary culture and home to a generation of radicals and creatives. It was the birthplace of Isokon's furniture company in 1935.
Scale indicators3 records
Recent moves6 records
Expansion highlights4 records
Isokon Plus competitors and assessment
Company assessmentDirect peers
- Cassina: Italian luxury furniture maker producing licensed Le Corbusier, Breuer, and Gerrit Rietveld designs alongside contemporary collaborations. Comparable on Modernist heritage IP, premium Italian/EU craft production, and global designer furniture sales.
- Thonet: German heritage manufacturer famous for bentwood furniture dating to the 19th century. Most direct historical parallel to Isokon's near-century of expertise with a single signature material (bentwood vs. plywood) and Bauhaus heritage.
- SCP Furniture: UK contemporary furniture specialist offering designer pieces from brands including Vitra, HAY, and Ercol alongside its own Sheridan Made label. Comparable UK-based design furniture distributor with similar customer base.
- Vitra: Swiss designer furniture manufacturer producing iconic pieces from modernist and contemporary designers (Eames, Breuer, Bouroullec). Closely comparable in combining heritage designer IP, premium pricing, and made-to-order production for a global design audience.
- Benchmark Furniture: UK-based handmade designer furniture maker working with leading designers including Barber & Osgerby (shared Isokon collaborator), Terence Conran, and Norman Foster. Closest peer on handmade craftsmanship and designer collaboration model.
- Knoll: US-based designer furniture manufacturer with a deep catalogue of Bauhaus and Modernist designs and a strong contract/institutional channel. Comparable on heritage IP (including Breuer-licensed pieces) and premium positioning.
- Ercol: UK heritage furniture maker founded 1920, specialising in handmade wooden furniture using traditional craft techniques. Direct UK peer with similar heritage positioning, wood-bending expertise, and made-in-Britain identity.
- Fritz Hansen: Danish premium furniture brand producing iconic Arne Jacobsen and contemporary designs. Comparable on Scandinavian/Northern European heritage craftsmanship, designer collaborations, and high-end residential and contract sales.
Broad incumbents
- Herman Miller: Major US-based designer office and residential furniture incumbent. Comparable designer DNA (Eames, Nelson) and contract channel, but operates at vastly larger scale across both office and home segments.
- Hay (Danish): Contemporary Danish design brand producing furniture and accessories with a broad designer roster. Comparable as a design-led furniture manufacturer, but with younger positioning and broader mass-premium distribution.
Market position
Strengths4 records
Weaknesses5 records
Competitive moat4 records
Key risks6 records
Key highlights6 records
Customer concentration
Isokon Plus social profiles
Digital presenceIsokon Plus financial estimates
Financial estimateRevenue estimate
Valuation estimate
Isokon Plus leadership team
Management profileNumber of profiles
Profiles1 record
Isokon Plus funding detail
Funding detailFunding overview
Funding rounds
Investors
Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Isokon Plus M&A and investment
M&A and investmentM&A
Investments
M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Frequently asked questions about Isokon Plus
What does Isokon Plus do?
Isokon Plus designs, manufactures and sells handmade modernist plywood furniture — including chairs, tables, storage units, and accessories — at its East London workshop and ships globally through direct-to-consumer e-commerce. Products are made-to-order with 8–10 week lead times, with prices ranging from approximately £230 for small items (e.g. Isokon Gull desk organiser) to £6,995 for larger pieces (e.g. Wing Unit). The collection draws on iconic 1930s Bauhaus-era designs alongside ongoing collaborations with contemporary designers such as Barber & Osgerby, Jasper Morrison, and Foster + Partners.
Is Isokon Plus a public or private company?
Isokon Plus is a private company. It is classified as unknown and is currently operating.
When was Isokon Plus founded?
Isokon Plus was founded in 1931. It employs 1 to 10 people.
Where is Isokon Plus based?
Isokon Plus is headquartered in London, United Kingdom, in the Europe region.
How does Isokon Plus make money?
One revenue line is on record: furniture Product Sales.
Who are Isokon Plus's main competitors?
Direct peers on record are Cassina, Thonet, SCP Furniture, Vitra, Benchmark Furniture, Knoll, Ercol and Fritz Hansen. Broad incumbents are Herman Miller and Hay (Danish).
Does Isokon Plus have an API?
No public API is recorded for Isokon Plus.