Born in Hong Kong and educated in Britain, the young Samuel spent so much time tinkering in the school workshop that a career in design seemed a matter of course. Chan completed a masters in furniture design at Buckinghamshire Chiltern University. After graduation he worked for several years in hotel interior design. He founded Channels Design and Joined + Jointed and is known for the purity and clean lines of his designs and his love of wood craft: ‘I am interested in design that endures – a piece of furniture that keeps its interest, made in such a way as to last, even improve, over time.’