Homes & Gardens - Movers & Shakers
Peter Layton's life story, "as colourful as his work"

In this Movers & Shakers feature, Homes & Gardens charts Peter Layton's remarkable journey, from his family's flight from Prague as refugees in 1937, through a career spanning textiles, the RAF, ceramics and teaching, to discovering glassblowing in America in the 1960s. Returning to the UK, Peter set up his first studio in the Scottish Highlands before founding London Glassblowing in 1976, working in an old towage works by the Thames with total novices who, as he puts it, turned out to be pioneers. The piece also looks ahead to the studio's future, with son-in-law Tim Rawlinson and daughter Sophie Layton set to take the reins in 2027, continuing a legacy now fifty years in the making.
Our Stories
Peter and Tim at the annual Glass Art Society Conference
Ahead of their trip to New York for the annual Glass Art Society Conference at the Corning Museum of Glass, Peter and Tim shared an insightful talk with guests at our gallery. In this special preview of the presentation they would go on to deliver at the world-renowned museum, Peter and Tim looked back on more than fifty years of creativity, craftsmanship, and community, sharing personal insights into the studio's evolution while also considering its future. From there, they headed to Corning, New York, for the conference itself!
Our Glass Community Reflect on Peter Layton
To mark fifty years of London Glassblowing, we asked artists, collaborators and friends to share what the studio has meant to them. Their answers span five decades - from first encounters at the hotshop to lifelong friendships. What emerges is a portrait of a community built around one man's vision, and the remarkable things that vision made possible.
Fifty Years of Fire: Celebrating Peter Layton and London Glassblowing
For half a century, London Glassblowing has transformed contemporary glass art - pioneering new techniques, supporting generations of artists, and establishing a studio at the forefront of innovation. This milestone year offers a moment to reflect, to reminisce, and to celebrate the extraordinary impact that has helped shape the world of glass.