Who doesn’t love good taste? Neotenic certainly has plenty of flavour.

In this new collaboration with Buchanan Studio, Original BTC makes mouth-blown glass the irresistible hero, elevating a centuries-old craft into something boldly contemporary. 

The collection was born after Buchanan Studio’s co-founders, Charlotte and Angus Buchanan, visited our Oxfordshire glassworks.

Watching the process up close – traditional, labour-intensive and entirely manual – sparked a design that feels both assured and delightfully avantgarde. The result is a family of lights with a soft, sculptural presence and an unmistakable personality. 

At the heart of every piece sits the curvaceous bullnose shade, appearing across all five designs: table, floor, wall, ceiling and pendant light.

For the table and floor lights, Buchanan Studio’s signature triangular motif becomes a crisp, graphic counterpoint, giving the glass a clean-lined base from which to tilt and play. 

Truly captivating are the colourways of the glass. Each shade is richly patterned with swirling, marble-like veining that reads one way when unlit, and quite another when illuminated.

Switch it on and the glass deepens and intensifies, revealing a warmer, more fiery character – as if the design has been hiding a second mood in plain sight. 

That transformation pays tribute to the skills of our glassmakers. Working from an opal base, they introduce colour by hand, manipulating the molten glass to create ripples, movement and subtle variations.

No two shades are ever the same. The good-enough-to-eat palette – Strawberry, Chocolate and Vanilla – nods to Neapolitan nostalgia, yet the finish remains refined, modern and poised. 

The name Neotenic is a clue to the collection’s spirit. In art and design, the term speaks to qualities associated with youthfulness – softness, curiosity, a certain sweetness and play – and to the retention of those traits into adulthood.

Here, it translates into rounded forms, approachable proportions and a touch of whimsy, handled with restraint. The prefix Neo gestures to the layered references behind the range: Neotenic form, Neapolitan colour memories and a sense of excitement for the future. 

Buchanan Studio is known for expressive interiors, sculptural furniture and a creative direction that balances romance with irreverence. That sensibility runs through Neotenic, bringing a fresh edge to a collection grounded in making. 

“We were particularly taken by the way the glass transforms when illuminated,” says Angus Buchanan. “It has one character when turned off, and another entirely when glowing. That sense of individuality became central to our design approach.” 

“We share so many values, most importantly a commitment to British craftsmanship and quality,” adds Charlotte Buchanan. “Both brands are proudly handmade in England, and that shared emphasis on British craft made this collaboration feel like a very natural fit.” 

Throughout the range, small details signal the partnership. Each light is finished with a brass cap bearing the combined logos. White steel bases are CNC-machined for accuracy, then softened with texture to sit comfortably beneath the organic movement of the glass.

The wall light, in particular, feels like a quiet masterstroke: its shade cleanly sliced and secured with neat brass screws, turning a functional fixing into a considered detail. 

“We were united in creating a range that showcases the artistry of our glassworks,” says Original BTC Director Charlie Bowles. “The collaboration pushes the boundaries of our usual aesthetic. Together, we’ve produced something unique – a true celebration of UK design and craftsmanship.”