how i work - design, timber, creation
i have been designing furniture and outdoor spaces for a number of years, fitting a part time passion into a full time project management career. recently, i have had the opportunity to transition to full time designing and making, setting up my workshop at the edge of the mendip hills and near to glastonbury and the somerset levels, a place of inspiration and ancient creativity.
i work for clients who want something beautiful made for a special occasion or to fit a particular need or position. my work has ranged from gates, bespoke picture frames to headboards and mid century sideboards and occasional tables. a new venture has been the creation of real wood miniature furniture made to fit a child's doll as an item to enjoy and pass down.
i aim to design and make furniture that works perfectly, looks beautiful and complements its setting whilst delighting the owner with the whole process of commissioning, from initial chat, to signed off designs and to delivery of the commission.
the design process
form, function, creation
form
anything well designed catches the eye, looks just right in its setting, draws you in to investigate
function
alluring looks are no good if something doesn’t work well, it must do the job it is asked to do, precisely, comfortably and without fuss. Getting this right is partly experience. It also comes from time spent talking to clients about what they need from a piece and from observing how they use the room where it will stand
creation
underlying every good design is a thorough working out of the making process. This is crucial – particularly when working with an idiosyncratic material like wood
timber
the timber i use is sourced from various accredited suppliers, using seasoned timber and hand picked for grain and suitability for the project at hand
all of the timber comes from renewable sources and the species i favour are cherry, american walnut, ash and oak
various other timbers are used to provide accent where needed, for example purple heart which is naturally a breath taking contract to a lighter wood
being able to choose the timber used is a wonderful aspect of hand made furniture, when visiting the timber yards i sample the grain and texture of the timber to ensure it will work as needed for the final piece
creation
my methods focus on a blend of hand tools and machine tools but hand tools are the foundation of all good creations because their use gives the craftsman a deep understanding of the way that wood works. That said, there is a real skill in the safe and effective use of workshop machines. A commercial maker must be both pragmatic and resourceful, using whichever tools – hand or machine – will do the best job. The upshot tends to be that I use machines where the same operation done by hand would take much longer, then refine or adjust with hand tools. Practically every component used in my furniture will at least be skimmed with a sharp hand plane after initial machining because the glassy finish it leaves is unmatched.
