Tom Broughton is the founder of Cubitts, but he describes himself as someone deeply intertwined with the “master builder” ethos of the 18th-century brothers the brand is named after. He lives in London’s iconic Isokon building which is a 1934 modernist landmark and that specific era of progressive, human-centric design informs much of his perspective. It is a philosophy that rejects the austere in favour of the functional, seasoned with a bit of wit.
Under Tom’s direction, Cubitts has become less about “eyewear” and more about the architecture of the face. He views the spectacles we wear and the spaces we inhabit as part of the same discipline: the art of shaping how a person experiences their day-to-day life. Whether he is opening a store in the historic cast-iron shadows of Soho, New York, or meticulously maintaining a seven-year-old lens cloth, Tom’s approach is rooted in a quiet pride for craftsmanship and a deep-seated belief that even the smallest objects deserve a sense of permanent, considered design.
How does your day typically begin?
It depends on my mood. Some mornings begin with a low thrum of anxiety; others with a clean desire to get up and get going. I wake early by nature and tend to follow the same loop: shower, coffee, emails. Unless I am properly hungover.
How do you prepare your preferred cup of tea or coffee?
Almost always coffee - a double espresso, taken in a long ceramic mug.
Is there a daily ritual you protect at all costs?
Brushing my teeth. If I’ve forgotten a toothbrush, I will run toothpaste around my teeth like a builder applying screed. I have no idea if it helps, but it feels marginally less shameful. I also try to make the bed; not in a Jordan Peterson way, just because it is quick to do. And I have a thing about the toilet seat always being down, so I check that.
What is one object you have owned for a long time and still use often?
I have used the same lens-cleaning cloth for about seven years, and I use it most days. It gets washed very occasionally. I like the size and weight of it, and the way it can be whipped out of a pocket in a flash, like the world’s worst magic trick.
Describe a space in your home that you feel best reflects who you are.
Probably the kitchen; specifically the places where I hang a make-do bin liner. It is rarely elegant, often overflowing, and usually full of failed ideas.
What does home mean to you?
A refuge from the chaos.
What is your favourite ‘unnecessary’ pleasure at home?
Insanely hot baths; hot enough that I briefly think I might faint.
How has architectural design influenced Cubitts over the years, from product design to store experience?
It is difficult to disengage architecture from Cubitts because they are so intertwined. I have always been drawn to architecture; the idea of designing how someone lives their life is endlessly interesting. How people care for and wear their spectacles is a small but important part of that. We are named after the Cubitt brothers; master builders, engineers and architects; and that influence runs through almost everything we do. Product design and store design, of course, but even more so the mentality and ethos.
What are your personal sources of inspiration in architecture that have shaped Cubitts over the years; and how did you first develop those interests?
I live in the Isokon, or Lawn Road Flats; a modernist block built in 1934. That era of 1930s modernism has been hugely influential. It was progressive, of course, but what I love is how human-centric it is without being po-faced or austere. The building used to have an on-site restaurant and bar, the Isobar, with a dumbwaiter that connected it to the flats. I love that detail; the utility, and the humour.
Is there a career highlight so far that you would like to share?
Opening our first store in New York, at 103 Mercer Street, in the shadow of the Judd Foundation, was a real source of pride; the culmination of many months and years of brilliant teamwork.
