Who We Are
Tools For Living is the design and supply arm of Aaron Probyn Studio, specialising in bespoke tableware and accessories for retail and hospitality.
Led by award-winning designer Aaron Probyn, the team brings together over 20 years’ experience creating timeless, functional design for global retailers, boutique brands, cafes, restaurants and hotel groups.
Led by award-winning designer Aaron Probyn, the team brings together over 20 years’ experience creating timeless, functional design for global retailers, boutique brands, cafes, restaurants and hotel groups.
Find out more
We believe that design, materials and execution dictate the experience. Our extensive experience designing tableware means we don’t just see a plate or a glass; we see the practical demands of service and the art of food presentation. We occupy a unique position, offering a holistic design solution that covers every element of the table. We not only provide you with the tools to help you create the atmosphere, but deliver products that are reliable and perform day after day.
Our manufacturing network allows us to source and work with a wide range of materials beyond those listed below. From plastics and composites to textiles, we can develop exactly what a project requires, ensuring that every material choice enhances the overall vision while meeting the practical demands of hospitality and the domestic environment.
From hand-made artisan pieces to high-volume isostatic production, our passion for ceramics is rooted in its versatility.
Ceramic is an emotive material that sets the tone for the entire meal. We are meticulous about the hidden details – glaze finishes and detailing, clay body strength, and the nesting of a stackable form.
We create pieces that feel like they belong on the table, elevate the food, yet remain robust enough for the pace and demands of a professional kitchen and everyday domestic use.
Cutlery / Flatware
Cutlery/flatware is a deeply intimate object, sitting between the plate and the palate.
We take an instinctive approach to development, paying close attention to the weight, balance, and the tactile quality that cutlery brings to mealtimes.
We are fastidious about proportions to ensure each piece complements the setting. Every design, across a wide range of cutlery and serve ware, is designed for everyday high-volume use in both domestic and hospitality settings.
Cutlery/flatware is a deeply intimate object, sitting between the plate and the palate.
We take an instinctive approach to development, paying close attention to the weight, balance, and the tactile quality that cutlery brings to mealtimes.
We are fastidious about proportions to ensure each piece complements the setting. Every design, across a wide range of cutlery and serve ware, is designed for everyday high-volume use in both domestic and hospitality settings.
We are well versed in the full spectrum of glass materials and production methods, enabling us to design everything from robust, stackable machine-made glasses to delicate, mouth-blown crystalline stemware tailored to specific grape varieties.
Glassware has the power to add drama to a table and elevate the drinking experience, whether serving a Negroni or a natural wine.
We always start with where the glass will live – the room, the light, the pace of service – and how it will be handled, washed and stored.
Wood
We celebrate wood for its inherent warmth and the way it softens a table setting.
Our sustainably crafted, food-safe boards and trays highlight the natural beauty of the material. Working with sustainably sourced material ensures our pursuit of beauty doesn't compromise on environmental values.
As a living material, wood is designed to age gracefully, developing character through use while standing up to the heavy demands of professional and home environments.
We celebrate wood for its inherent warmth and the way it softens a table setting.
Our sustainably crafted, food-safe boards and trays highlight the natural beauty of the material. Working with sustainably sourced material ensures our pursuit of beauty doesn't compromise on environmental values.
As a living material, wood is designed to age gracefully, developing character through use while standing up to the heavy demands of professional and home environments.
Metal is the backbone of the dining room – a material of precision and longevity; making it perfect for barware, as well as functional and decorative objects.
We approach metalwork with a sensitivity that goes beyond the purely functional. By focusing on weight and surface treatment, we transform a pragmatic tool into an object of reflection.
We value how metal evolves through years of service, a subtle patination emerges that adds a sense of use and longevity to the environment.
Marble & Stone
There is a quiet yet weighty luxury in the permanence of marble and stone.
Whether used as a functional platter or a decorative accent, marble and stone ground a setting with their rich materiality and natural variation.
We design these pieces to be tactile and enduring. As stone objects develop a unique patina, their beauty deepens, reinforcing a sense of timeless quality.
There is a quiet yet weighty luxury in the permanence of marble and stone.
Whether used as a functional platter or a decorative accent, marble and stone ground a setting with their rich materiality and natural variation.
We design these pieces to be tactile and enduring. As stone objects develop a unique patina, their beauty deepens, reinforcing a sense of timeless quality.
Ceramics
From hand-made artisan pieces to high-volume isostatic production, our passion for ceramics is rooted in its versatility.
Ceramic is an emotive material that sets the tone for the entire meal. We are meticulous about the hidden details – glaze finishes and detailing, clay body strength, and the nesting of a stackable form.
We create pieces that feel like they belong on the table, elevate the food, yet remain robust enough for the pace and demands of a professional kitchen and everyday domestic use.
From hand-made artisan pieces to high-volume isostatic production, our passion for ceramics is rooted in its versatility.
Ceramic is an emotive material that sets the tone for the entire meal. We are meticulous about the hidden details – glaze finishes and detailing, clay body strength, and the nesting of a stackable form.
We create pieces that feel like they belong on the table, elevate the food, yet remain robust enough for the pace and demands of a professional kitchen and everyday domestic use.
Cutlery / Flatware
Cutlery/flatware is a deeply intimate object, sitting between the plate and the palate.
We take an instinctive approach to development, paying close attention to the weight, balance, and the tactile quality that cutlery brings to mealtimes.
We are fastidious about proportions to ensure each piece complements the setting. Every design, across a wide range of cutlery and serve ware, is designed for everyday high-volume use in both domestic and hospitality settings.
Cutlery/flatware is a deeply intimate object, sitting between the plate and the palate.
We take an instinctive approach to development, paying close attention to the weight, balance, and the tactile quality that cutlery brings to mealtimes.
We are fastidious about proportions to ensure each piece complements the setting. Every design, across a wide range of cutlery and serve ware, is designed for everyday high-volume use in both domestic and hospitality settings.
Glassware
We are well versed in the full spectrum of glass materials and production methods, enabling us to design everything from robust, stackable machine-made glasses to delicate, mouth-blown crystalline stemware tailored to specific grape varieties.
Glassware has the power to add drama to a table and elevate the drinking experience, whether serving a Negroni or a natural wine.
We always start with where the glass will live – the room, the light, the pace of service – and how it will be handled, washed and stored.
We are well versed in the full spectrum of glass materials and production methods, enabling us to design everything from robust, stackable machine-made glasses to delicate, mouth-blown crystalline stemware tailored to specific grape varieties.
Glassware has the power to add drama to a table and elevate the drinking experience, whether serving a Negroni or a natural wine.
We always start with where the glass will live – the room, the light, the pace of service – and how it will be handled, washed and stored.
Wood
We celebrate wood for its inherent warmth and the way it softens a table setting.
Our sustainably crafted, food-safe boards and trays highlight the natural beauty of the material. Working with sustainably sourced material ensures our pursuit of beauty doesn't compromise on environmental values.
As a living material, wood is designed to age gracefully, developing character through use while standing up to the heavy demands of professional and home environments.
We celebrate wood for its inherent warmth and the way it softens a table setting.
Our sustainably crafted, food-safe boards and trays highlight the natural beauty of the material. Working with sustainably sourced material ensures our pursuit of beauty doesn't compromise on environmental values.
As a living material, wood is designed to age gracefully, developing character through use while standing up to the heavy demands of professional and home environments.
Metal
Metal is the backbone of the dining room – a material of precision and longevity; making it perfect for barware, as well as functional and decorative objects.
We approach metalwork with a sensitivity that goes beyond the purely functional. By focusing on weight and surface treatment, we transform a pragmatic tool into an object of reflection.
We value how metal evolves through years of service, a subtle patination emerges that adds a sense of use and longevity to the environment.
Metal is the backbone of the dining room – a material of precision and longevity; making it perfect for barware, as well as functional and decorative objects.
We approach metalwork with a sensitivity that goes beyond the purely functional. By focusing on weight and surface treatment, we transform a pragmatic tool into an object of reflection.
We value how metal evolves through years of service, a subtle patination emerges that adds a sense of use and longevity to the environment.
Marble & Stone
There is a quiet yet weighty luxury in the permanence of marble and stone.
Whether used as a functional platter or a decorative accent, marble and stone ground a setting with their rich materiality and natural variation.
We design these pieces to be tactile and enduring. As stone objects develop a unique patina, their beauty deepens, reinforcing a sense of timeless quality.
There is a quiet yet weighty luxury in the permanence of marble and stone.
Whether used as a functional platter or a decorative accent, marble and stone ground a setting with their rich materiality and natural variation.
We design these pieces to be tactile and enduring. As stone objects develop a unique patina, their beauty deepens, reinforcing a sense of timeless quality.
Why chose Tools For Living?
Manufacturing Benefits
A trusted network of makers
across Europe and Asia, each
chosen for craftsmanship and
design-led production.
-
Quality & transparency
-
Viable MOQs
-
Fully customisable
-
Agile development
- Hands-on developers
A full-service partnership
Not a sourcing agency but a
full-service partnership, founded
by a designer, that slots into
your business where you need us.
- Bespoke design & sourcing
- Extensive catalogue
- A true extension of you
- Speed to market
- Flexible logistics
- Transparent costing
Manufactoring Benefits
A trusted network of makers across Europe and Asia, each chosen for craftsmanship and design-led production.
- Quality & transparency
- Viable MOQs
- Fully customisable
- Agile development
- Hands-on developers
We begin with your brand, then lead the creative direction or respond to your brief – built from your brand outwards.
- Brand & service review
- Direction setting
- Design development
- 3D prototyping
- Sampling rounds
- Production oversight
Not a sourcing agency but a full-service partnership, founded by a designer, that slots into your business where you need us.
- Bespoke design & sourcing
- Extensive catalogue
- A true extension of you
- Speed to market
- Flexible logistics
- Transparent costing
Our work carries our clients' names, so the portfolio is shared by password. If you have a password:
Access Now
If not, use this link to get in touch and introduce yourself.
Lets work together
We'd love to explore how bespoke tableware or accessories could help elevate your brand. Share a little about your brand, locations, menu and how you currently serve – and we'll suggest where a custom range could add the most value.
And whether it's a glaze, a finish, a form or a minimum order, we'll tell you what's achievable before you commit to a direction. That conversation costs nothing.
We'd love to explore how bespoke tableware or accessories could help elevate your brand. Share a little about your brand, locations, menu and how you currently serve – and we'll suggest where a custom range could add the most value.
And whether it's a glaze, a finish, a form or a minimum order, we'll tell you what's achievable before you commit to a direction. That conversation costs nothing.