Throw away culture !

The paper used to make a typical UK weekend colour supplement (which is seldom read from cover to cover and is thrown away) is just about 1.3kg which is equivalent to a piece of solid wood I use to create one of my clocks ! This is staggering.

Using wood to make lasting artefacts.

Wood is a precious material. I strive to use it responsibly. Much of my early work in the 70`s was made from re-claimed woods such as pitch pine from old church pews.  I try to minimise the waste and take this into account when designing. Indeed the curved form of my famous high backed rocking chair, follows the waney edge of the ash boards which I have selected individually, using templates of the chair members at the timberyard !

The versatility of wood

`Wood never ceases to fascinate and engage us. It is man`s oldest natural resource and the diverse ways in which it has been fashioned over the centuries tell the story of civilization better than any other material. From tribal masks to wheels, pit props to paper for books, wood is unique. As a material it has remarkable character - it bends, it twists, it splits, it swells, it shrinks, it is fragrant, it can be almost transparent. It can be hard, soft, rigid or springy. It can last for centuries or it can perish in seconds in fire. There is hardly anyone who is not drawn to its tactile and visual qualities. The infinite variety in the grain of wood has universal appeal and it has enormous versatility as a structural and decorative medium.`