I work with my clients to design and make contemporary designs that reflect their personality, while remaining practical and usable.

My first career was in Youth work, Training and Management Development. In 1997 I returned to college to revisit my earlier interest in Art and Design. I chose to focus on designing and making furniture, as it requires a balance between creativity and function, a constraint that I enjoy.

I studied for two years at Rycotewood College, a long standing centre of excellence, for the training of crafts people, in furniture design and making.

In 2001 I set up my own workshop and now work mainly to commission.

Having spent 20 years making in Buckinghamshire I am now delighted to be living on the edge of Dartmoor in Devon.

I am particularly looking forward to developing more pieces using wood obtained from local sources.

In summer 2021 I was delighted to be accepted as a member of Make SW (formally the Devon Guild of Craftsmen)

For me, the key to success is my relationship with my client. I enjoy exploring with them the environment within which a piece will live, to tease out what they are looking for and create something just right.

Depending on the result of our discussions I may use traditional approach to the design, or enjoy experimenting with new forms and techniques.

Exhibitions

I have shown at the following exhibitions:-

  • New Designers, London 1998
  • 6 Makers at Henley 2004
  • Purple Leaf at Stoke Park 2005
  • Making the Future – 21st Century Furniture 2009
  • Society of Designer Craftsmen – Designer Crafts at the Mall 2010
  • 21st Century Furniture – The Arts & Crafts Legacy, The Millinery Gallery, Islington 2010, 2011 & 2015
  • Celebration of Craftsmanship & Design, Cheltenham 2005, 2009, 2010 & 2016
Sycamore & Blue Wave Bathroom Cabinet

My Signature Piece – The Story Chair

The Story Chair

The Story Chair was my final piece at college and remains one of my favourites. Made from Sycamore and American Cherry it drew together a wide range of techniques. There are a number of different types of joint and the back is laminated.

In particular I and my tutor, Suzanne Hodgson, a well respected furniture designer maker in her own right, worked hard to ensure that, although a wooden chair, the rake of the seat and shape of the back makes it comfortable.

I wanted something that would be comfortable to sit in – and it gets about a 90% success rate. Not bad for a wooden chair!