Mid-Summer Term Update. Students in Full Flow

We’re now well into the second half of the summer term, and with just a few weeks remaining before the end of the Designer Maker course, the workshop is firmly in full production mode.

It’s hard to believe our three term Designer Makers have already been with us for nearly a year. Time has flown, and as ever at this stage of the course, the ambition of project work at the furniture school is really starting to show.

These final projects are always some of the most exciting, where everything students have learned so far starts to come together in more confident, personal, and technically demanding ways.

Dalton’s Drinks Cabinet with Straw Marquetry

Dalton is currently well into the making of his drinks cabinet, and he’s certainly given himself a challenge in more ways than one!

At the moment, he’s preparing individual straws for the straw marquetry on his cabinet doors, flattening and burnishing them to create a smooth, reflective surface before they are laid up into panels. It’s a slow, hands-on process that requires a great deal of patience, and no doubt a few sore fingers along the way.

He’s already completed the large laminated carcass, which only just squeezed into our vacuum bag press, and the scale of the piece is beginning to reveal itself. Combined with the straw marquetry, it promises to be a real showstopper. Based on the design work we’ve seen so far, the finished surfaces should have a striking depth and shimmer once complete.

We’ll be sharing more as the door panels begin to come together and the cabinet moves closer to completion.

Jon’s Drinks Cabinet

John is also working on a large drinks cabinet, featuring a laminated carcass of a similar form to Dalton’s.

Drawing on experience gained through earlier jig making projects, and benefiting from some of the lessons learned during Dalton’s build, he has been steadily developing the curved elements that define the cabinet’s shape. At present, he’s laminating the structural frames that will wrap around the carcass and create the finished outer form.

While there’s still plenty of work ahead, John has already completed a significant amount of the internal construction, putting him in a strong position to complete everything before the end of term.

Another ambitious build, and one that’s already showing all the signs of becoming a beautifully resolved piece of furniture.

Matt‘s Sliding Door Cabinet

Matt is making excellent progress on a cabinet featuring a set of three sliding doors, each built with a distinctive frame and panel design incorporating gunstock style joints and vertical dowel detailing.

As the doors overlap and move, the dowels create shifting patterns across the surface. It’s a subtle but really engaging visual effect that changes as the cabinet is used.

The piece will sit on a solid frame with large rounded legs, which Matt is in the process of shaping, and above this Matt is developing the shelving structure that completes the piece.

Made in cherry, it’s another confident and ambitious build.

Brian’s Danish-Inspired Lounge Chair

Brian’s lounge chair project is now entering a particularly interesting stage of development.

With the webbing installed, attention has turned to shaping: refining curves, softening transitions, and beginning to bring all the individual components together as a single cohesive form.

He’s already completed a significant amount of routing work, but the focus now is very much on hand shaping and refining the final surfaces before assembly. As always with this kind of chair design, symmetry and flow are key, and this final stage is where the piece really starts to come alive.

Tom’s Overlocker Cabinet Complet

Tom has now completed his overlocker cabinet, and it is a real achievement.

The cabinet draws on the tradition of Arts and Crafts furniture making while pushing towards something quietly contemporary.

Built entirely from solid timber, the cabinet combines a dovetailed outer carcase with a mitred inner carcase, piston-fit oak drawers with applied ash fronts, and a frame and panel back. The hinged front and layered shadow gaps create a subtle sense of intrigue, revealing the cabinet’s inner world as it unfolds open.

Dovetail shaped muntins and carefully considered joinery details celebrate the process of learning to make, while the unconventional opening mechanism is designed around the practical ergonomics of lifting and storing a sewing machine. The fumed oak legs were finished in boiled linseed oil and the cabinet finished in hardwax oil. Huge congratulations to Tom!👏🏻

Tom is now moving on to his next project, which we’ll share some details on soon.

12-Week Furniture Making Course In-Progress

Our 12-week Furniture Making students are now working on their final major project: the chest on stand.

Having already completed foundational work, including sharpening, tool preparation, and early exercises such as Chinese puzzles and breadboards, students are now progressing through the core stages of furniture making.

The bar stool project is complete, and attention has shifted to constructing the subframes and plinths for the chest on stand. From there, they will move into dovetailed carcass work, followed by piston-fit drawer construction in the coming weeks. It’s such a satisfying and reward process to work through.

Looking Ahead

We’re also beginning to see student submissions come together for the New Furniture Makers Exhibition at the Furniture Makers’ Company in London this October. Several students are preparing entries, and it will be fantastic to see their work represented there once again this year.

Short Courses Update + Special Offer

We currently have one remaining place on our 4-week Fine Furniture Making Course, starting 29th June. This is our longest short course and offers an intensive introduction to furniture making.

Over four weeks students complete a carefully structured programme of skill building and furniture making, including the Chinese Puzzle, Chamfered Cutting Board, a table with exposed hand-cut joinery and a circular marquetry tri-table.

Suitable for both beginners and experienced woodworkers, the course provides an exceptional introduction to fine furniture making while producing a collection of finished work to take home.

To help fill this final place, we’re including a Quangsheng No.5 Bedrock Pattern Jack Plane and a Narex Cabinetmaker’s Chisel Set, worth approximately £300. The offer is only available for a new booking on this final place.

Complete Online Course students can also apply their 10% short course discount, saving a further £385. Combined with the complimentary tools, it’s a particularly good time to secure the final place.

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Upcoming Short Courses

We still have a small number of places available on upcoming courses:

2-Day Pencil Box Courses — Starts next week! Two start dates: June 15th-16th & June 18th-19th
4-Week Furniture Making Course — Starting 29th June. Only 1 place spaces remaining
New 5-Day Mirror Making Course with laminating and profiling — Starts August 31st
Designer Maker Course (3-Term Programme) — Starting September — Fully booked
One place remains on the 2-term / international course starting this September, which may suit international students and could align with a 26-week study visa (subject to current regulations).
1-Week Introduction to Fine Furniture | Mastering Tool Prep & Use – Next Available Course Starts September 14th

For full course details and booking: