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Based in South Devon, I am a furniture designer/maker specialising in contemporary handmade pieces. I use mainly English hardwoods, predominantly sourced locally, in particular oak, ash and cherry. My designs are modern with clean, simple lines, whilst the techniques I use are rooted in traditional fine furniture making: hand-planing, hand-cut joints, natural oil/wax finishes. The interest may be found in a joint, a subtle curve or simply in the wood itself.
I usually combine my work on commissions with the production of pieces for exhibition. Working with a free rein gives me a chance to be innovative and to develop ideas that have been germinating in my mind. I draw inspiration from numerous makers, past and present, some favourites being Alan Peters, Edward Barnsley, Eileen Gray and Alvar Aalto. I love the unadorned simplicity of much of the work that emerged in the early twentieth century, from the likes of C.R. Mackintosh, Josef Hoffmann, Gerrit Rietveld and Frank Lloyd Wright.
I have been making furniture for over 15 years having studied Design History at Manchester Metropolitan University (1990-93). After college I worked for John Hetherington Furniture (Glossop, Derbyshire) where I gained considerable experience and completed some of my own commissions. The next few years combined renting bench space in a professional workshop with looking after our young son. |