Working with Wood and Clay
ARCHITECT AND CRAFTSMAN
As an architect for over 30 years, every building Paul worked on was unique and required a fresh approach. He believed that it was important to listen to the site and its surroundings to produce buildings that respond to the brief.
LOCAL WORKSHOP
Working from his workshop in his garden, he now enjoys applying these principles to working in wood and ceramics, listening to the materials and finding new creative solutions for every project.
Where it all started
Looking for the natural shape in a piece of wood influenced Pauls designs and led to his first stool that looks a bit like a mushroom. The legs follow the line of a tree trunk and the stool top tapers out towards the edges to give a floating visual appearance whilst maintaining the strength of a thick seat.
Design Drawings
Using traditional architectural drawing techniques, design drawings are prepared by hand which allows the ideas to flow and follow the line of the grain and avoid being guided by the demands of a machines.
The drawings are also used to develop the templates required to form the complex natural shapes that create the geometry of each piece, which are then finally crafted by hand.
Working with wood
With complex natural shapes, Paul might test the effectiveness of the technical drawing set by building a half size mock up. This allows him to make mistakes and resolve details, practice cutting, set up jigs and explore different build techniques.
The miniature versions of his furniture are often popular and have become interesting pieces in their own right.
NOT EVERYTHING IS PERFECT
All Pauls furniture is hand made and individually crafted. He prefers to use hand tools and enjoys making the best use of timber slabs that are not always free of knots and imperfections.
We hope you agree that this adds unique character to his work, but if in any way you are not satisfied with your purchase, please contact Paul and he will always do his very best to resolve any issues.