Design is a balance between function and looks. It won't work if you focus too much on one and ignore the other.But if it involves both art and science, then surely design must be skill that only very few are capable of? The truth is, anyone can do design, and the secret is just having a bit of … [Read more...]
Chair Building Basics – New Video Series!
In our latest series we learn how to build a chair. Chapter One is already live. This series can be purchased by Clicking Here. If you're already a Member then you may need to Login First.Chair building can require specialist tools and joints that are less familiar to the general … [Read more...]
What Makes Good Design?
When you set out to build a piece of furniture do you look to someone else's work for inspiration, or perhaps wait for a suitable plan to take your fancy?It can feel limiting when you have the motivation to crack on, but aren't sure what to build. Or you know what you want you're furniture to … [Read more...]
Prototyping. Yay or Nay?
For most pieces I don't prototype. It's something that often isn't necessary or which time has not been allocated for. So normally I isolate prototyping to areas that I consider to be particularly troublesome or unusual, and make a mock up of those bits alone so I can analyse.I break this rule … [Read more...]
Designing Furniture With Umph
I'm designing a chest at the moment and thinking about all of the usual pointers to guide me; scale, proportion etc, along with considering it's educational purpose (a new one for me). I thought I'd share with you an extra design dimension that I have within my palette which I've learnt from working … [Read more...]
Dead Old Inspiration
If I were taught about fire breathing dragons in science at school then they'd be as real to me as dinosaurs. They told me Pluto was a planet and I wasn't going to question it. Our young minds can accept facts printed in a text book, but I realise how little of things we can really … [Read more...]
Why You Need A Spoon Rack
Choosing a project for a video build is a tough decision. Picking the first project is even tougher. We didn't want it to be too complex or too simple and we wanted to ensure there was a lot that could be learnt. We had all of this in mind when we opted to build the spoon rack, but we know you're … [Read more...]
Out Lives It’s Favour
As woodworkers I'm sure that we all see furniture purchasing in a different light to most. There's nothing that makes sense less than knowing that people are happy to spend on a rickety flat pack which won't last two minutes, but can't justify spending for a solid, well made piece which could last … [Read more...]
The Settle Chair – The Commode
With their elegant lines, angles and smooth curves some chairs look wonderful in a room simply as a piece a sculpture. This isn't one of those chairs. This one is square and very plain, but then that's what attracted me to it. When I first caught sight of it in a photo it appeared so wrong that I … [Read more...]
The Three Stooges
I love a good chair. You really can't over estimate the need for your own little resting spot; a place to take the weight off, enjoy a good meal, or even detach you from a drab space while you become engrossed in something much more interesting. A chair should be sturdy and dependable but by no … [Read more...]