The final film in PORT and Sage’s The Art of Duality series follows designer and gallerist Max Radford in his South London home and gallery. Between sketching, research and curating what he calls “radical design”, Radford’s day moves between fast-paced projects and slower, reflective moments – with the Oracle™ Dual Boiler coffee machine threading through both
Max Radford is an interior designer, gallerist and curator of emerging British furniture talent. His eponymous gallery showcases both contemporary innovators and iconic design pieces, reflecting his philosophy that objects should hold value through presence and engagement rather than transaction alone. Radford’s journey spans fine art studies, early experience with an antique dealer and years of cultivating a nuanced eye for materiality and form. He has collaborated with brands such as Ercol, Aram Gallery and LS Gomma, and archives his work and insights via his interiors Substack.
A typical day for Radford involves balancing his dual roles at his gallery and studio. “My weeks are very varied, having two different businesses as a gallerist and also as an interior designer, you have to balance those things,” he says. At home, he switches between focused creative work – like drawing, research and sketching – and domestic tasks, moving between desk, dining table and a small cubby by the kitchen. His home doubles as both sanctuary and studio, a space that allows calm reflection alongside bursts of high-focus activity, whether planning exhibitions, conceptualising furniture layouts or organising objects for the gallery. He spends time reading, scanning magazines, listening to records and lighting incense, crafting moments of quiet within a busy schedule.
Coffee is what drives these different modes. “I always have to start the day with a coffee. Nice and easy flat white on auto mode in the morning,” he says. In the afternoon, he opts for a “nice, slow” pour-over Americano. The Sage Oracle™ Dual Boiler mirrors this flexibility with its auto and manual modes, enabling Radford to switch between automated efficiency for morning routines and manual precision for when he has time to explore his craft. By using the new Auto Dial-in system, which monitors each extraction and adjusts the grind size automatically, Radford is able to achieve the perfect brew every time. “The duality of the machine is something that is certainly great for our lives. We’re easily able to just make a coffee in the morning, pressing a button, or you can fiddle around and learn how to make coffee on the weekends,” Radford adds.
Looking ahead, Radford plans to expand the gallery internationally while continuing to platform London’s emerging design talent. His home and daily practices remain a laboratory for ideas, where coffee and creativity live in harmony. “The pieces of furniture that we work with within the gallery are regarded as something called collectible design, but we like to call it radical design,” he notes.
This is the closing film in the PORT x Sage The Art of Duality series. Relive the earlier stories with Rejina Pyo and Jordan Bourke here, and Thomas Straker here.
Production Studio Union
Exec producer Dan Pickard
Director & DoP Theo Tennant
Lighting & camera assistant Matt Bramston
Hair & makeup / groomer Margherita Lascala
Port producer Jack Stacey
Port editor Ayla Angelos
Production assistant Annabelle Brown
Barista / drinks stylist Luke Lane
Edit Ned Donohoe
Edit David Tse
Colourist Lucrezia Pollice
Dub Tom Guest
EMEA PR & Partnerships manager Kira Schacht
Breville Group General manager, global communications Lucy Martyn
Concept agency John Doe
