Role Overview
As Co-Founder and Head Designer, James is the driving force behind Dowsing & Reynolds. He continues to steer the company with his entrepreneurial spirit and is responsible primarily for designing new products.
James’ design philosophy is rooted in enhancing everyday objects, elevating our interactions and experiences with them. Whether it’s the seamless integration of a screwless faceplate on your walls or the satisfying click of a light switch, our designs are all about making life a little more enjoyable – and that’s all thanks to James.
Experience & Qualifications
James has a diploma in Garden Design and spent his early career managing garden centres, but he always dreamed of having a more creative outlet and a better work-life balance.
He started experimenting with concrete sculptures and vintage light bulbs to make his own lamp and then went on to sell the spare bulbs he didn’t need on eBay. Buying and selling lighting components proved to be a very successful endeavour, so James decided to expand his operation – and that’s how Dowsing & Reynolds was born.
Since co-founding Dowsing & Reynolds with Ally back in 2013, James has taken the company from strength to strength with his beautiful designs and eye for innovation. He’s turned his ADHD and autism diagnoses into superpowers, using his frustration at noticing every little detail in his environment to come up with designs that improve things – the basis of all product design at Dowsing & Reynolds.
What about outside of work?
James loves cooking and is a huge fan of chef Michael O’Hare – so much so that we once collaborated with Michael on a special edition pendant light that reflects his unique food presentation style.
He’s also an avid gardener and became the youngest ever qualified garden designer in the UK at just 16 years old. He landscaped his garden to include a deck area and a small swimming pool – this was originally a koi carp pond, but a heron kept stealing the fish!
James is pretty handy all around, designing and building a Narnia-themed bed for his young daughter. He also loves fashion – especially shoes – and has quite an impressive collection of Louboutins.
