VICE Chats With the BDSM Furniture Builder
If you’re looking to trick out a man cave, there are plenty of places to shop. You might stop at a home theater specialty store, perhaps swing by a place that sells sports or movie memorabilia, or even get a bit of custom-built furniture. But what do you do when you’re looking to stock up an entirely different type of basement refuge, the sort with whips, leather and cat o’ nine tails? Aspiring dominatrices hoping to get the ultimate BDSM playground go to the Saxon Dungeon Furniture for all their custom needs. VICE chatted with Simon, the owner of this most unusual business, in a new interview posted in their always-provocative NSFW section.
Now 50, Simon started with more conventional craftsmanship, including cabinet-making. When he investigated the mass-produced offerings in the BDSM furniture category, he found they were mostly of inferior quality. “So I just thought, Why not?” he told VICE. He now offers a wide variety of items, ranging from crosses to bondage tables and walls. “There seems to be a standard range of designs… Usually you come up with things within the parameters of what’s out there because you know what people want. But I keep the quality high.”
Simon’s business originated in England but eventually found its way stateside. Customers come mostly from the coasts, with little from the areas in between, and even apparently include celebrities! Simon made a “Titan” bondage horse (think sawhorse but with a BDSM flavor) for an unnamed star in around 2011 or 2012 and described it as one of his toughest jobs. “It was a pain in the ass to do at the time and to deal with the person,” he said. (Anyone else very curious who that celeb might be?)
While it’s abundantly clear what the items of furniture are intended for, Saxon Dungeon Furniture wisely places a disclaimer below each of the items on its website: “Seller makes no warranty, express or implied of merchantability of the product or features of the product for a particular purpose. Manufacturer/Seller shall not be liable to purchaser or any other person for the loss or damage, directly, indirectly or consequentially arising from or related to the purchase or use of this product.” In other words, if you throw out your back or get a bunch of splinters re-enacting your favorite scenes from an edgy BDSM classic, don’t go calling your lawyer.
Safety is a major part of Simon’s philosophy. “I won’t make anything that could be unsafe in any way. If a client has a specific design in mind that they won’t deviate from and it can’t be safely manufactured, then I may turn them down,” he noted.
Business is steady, but BDSM furniture isn’t Simon’s only job. “The minimum would be one big item a month. The maximum would be eight a month. I run a cabinet-making shop [as well], which is my daytime job, if you like,” he said. Most items on his website sell for between $500 and $1,000, but Simon has done specially designed pieces for as much as $5,000.
Bondage enthusiasts whose pockets aren’t nearly so deep can always take refuge in Adult Empire’s position tools category! Also check out Chelsea’s review of the Fetish Fantasy International Rockin’ Chair.
Featured image: TS Seduction Vol. 3
