Inspired by everyday images

pony and kist, a photo by Paparwark on Flickr.

This was one of my first pieces which used a strong Shetland image in the design. The Shetland pony is one of Sheltand's most famous icons and the flowing lines lend itself really well to producing a very elegant chest. This is a real statement piece in any room. The photograph was taken near to our workshop and has a stunning view south along the cliffs. When living in a place for a long time you take the images for granted. I was inspired to design this when living in Glasgow and feeling a bit home sick. During that time I was inspired buy other images of home which were seals, cows, boats and Viking runes!

Could bespoke furniture save you money?

burgess table and benches, a photo by Paparwark on Flickr.

We have made several dining room tables with either benches or chairs to match. We realised that after making the last set that one of the selling points is that bespoke furniture will save you money in the long run.
Here's why!

If you spent £3000 on a Bespoke table and benches you should expect it too last for a lifetime. If you take an minimum average of 40 years then you have only spent £75 per year.

If you buy a mass produced product which may only last several years then over 40 years you will probably spend more especially if you take inflation into account.
A set of furniture costing £400 which lasts only 5 years will cost £80 per year.

So, you get what you really need, at better quality and save money!!

Emnet sideboard

Emnet sideboard, a photo by Paparwark on Flickr.

When I was in Norway I was really interested in how they would look for the correct shaped piece of timber to make a component from. When returning to Shetland I was keen to try out this approach. With the lack of timber I decided to tackle the issue the other way round. I asked the local forestry manager if he could find me two pieces of a certain shape. When it arrived I then let the wood do the talking. The piece ended up being inspired from both the Norwegian tradition that I had been learning about and the British tradition which I had been trained in. The uprights are made from local Shetland sycamore and were shaped using axes and a draw knife so you can still see the tool marks. The top and bottom pieces are African bubinga and have been highly polished to a very high standard in the manner I was trained in high Wycombe. So this piece is the combining of two traditions to make a beautiful sculptural sideboard

driftwood shetland chair

driftwood shetland chair, a photo by Paparwark on Flickr.

The tradition was to made the Shetland chairs from driftwood. We general make the chairs from quality hardwoods because driftwood is much harder to find. This chair was made for a good friend who had a stock of driftwood near his house! Unlike the traditional craftsmen we have tried to keep the interesting wormholes wherever possible to give it a real unique rustic charm For more info one the range of shetland chairs which we do check out or webpage at http://www.paparwark.co.uk/Shetlandchairs.html

Form follows function or function follow form

Timber stool, a photo by Paparwark on Flickr.

One of the big questions in design is which comes first, form or function. Sometimes we let the wood do most of the designing!

This stool is one ot the products which we are producing from the interesting timber which we sometimes have left over from larger projects. The stool really is a one off as it is made from the natural shape of the timber. The seat is carved for extra comfort and more fun for the craftsman producing it!

Furniture inspiring poetry

After being inspired by poetry to design furniture I didn't think I would be inspired the other way around. A few years back I designed this sculptural book stand and was asked to carve a phrase on the stem of the stand. The phrase I thought of was "The truth is found in seeing every angle" The other day I wrote a poem inspired from this.

Truth is found in seeing every angle

Truth is found in seeing every angle
But skill is needed to understand the tangle
Of view and ideas from entrenched position
Great wisdom is needed for such a mission

If we are to escape the slavery view
Discernment like Solomon we need too
looking past the veneer of common belief
Propaganda has deceived us like a common thief

To look behind the pillars of our fair land
We may find skeletons we didn't plan
To deal with the legacy of broken sale
That caused corporate hope to stumble and fail

What can be done to bring newness of life
To ride us of tyranny, poverty and strife
Great dreams of a utopia free of sin
All empires and war thrown in the bin

Can we truly respect each other
so we can embrace them as a brother
Even if we completely disagree
There's room enough so we can all live free.

Poetry inspiring furniture

A few years back I took part in a project where poets and crafts people teamed up to be inspired from each others work. I make the round table in sycamore which was inspired from a line in a poem about hollow boilersuits flaping on a clothes line. I developed a way to stop natural shaped logs from spliting by drilling through the centre of the log and therefore helping the wood to dry more evenly. It means that the smaller sections of timber found in Shetland could be used in furniture and not just for firewood.