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I specialise in Shaker and Art and Crafts because of it's "no nonsense" style. The Shakers believed that everything should be fit for it's purpose without any superfluous decoration or unnecessary embellishments. The creators of the Arts and Crafts movement believed that how a thing was made should be visible for all to see. Indeed, construction techniques such as mortise and keyed through tenon joints should be design features of a piece. I find that these two styles complement each other perfectly. The simple clean functional lines of the Shakers combined with traditional visible joinery in solid hard wood results in contemporary furniture which is ageless.
I like to think of myself as a traditional cabinet maker. This does not mean that I do not use power tools. I do. I use them to cut and make traditional joints just as the masters from the past would have done had they had electricity. What I don't do is take short cuts. I never use a screw or a dowel when a properly made joint is called for. I think this is one reason why antique furniture has stood the test of time. In a hundred years, will people admire a melamine veneered chipboard cabinet with doweled butt joints? I think not. This is also one of the reasons that I only work in hard wood. I find that it is far more suitable for the purpose of furniture making. Soft wood such as Pine is just that, soft. Because it is soft, it is less able to stand up to lateral forces which eventually cause even the best made joints to loosen. It also marks easily and no type of finish will prevent this.
I have been making furniture in my spare time for the past 30 years. Six years ago when I came to the end of my professional career, I decided to do full time something I enjoyed and for which I had experience and some degree of talent. I have not looked back sense. I am a member of the Cambridge Open Studios and exhibit my work through them every year in July. I have also exhibited in several local galleries. I am a past member of the Guild of Master Craftsman.
This has been just a little about me and how I make things. If you have any comments or suggestions on how I can improve this site or if you may be interested in commissioning a piece, please call or E Mail me.
Thank you for your time.
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