We’re having a look back at some of the fantastic pieces of furniture that our students made this year.  Here we spotlight a table made by Brian London, a retired law enforcement officer, underlining how a professional course at the Chippendale school has no age barriers.

One of the great things about bespoke furniture is that it can last for many lifetimes, becoming a treasured heirloom to be passed down the generations.

That’s what student Brian London, originally from North Carolina, achieved when he designed and made a Queen Anne-inspired gate-leg table that was a gift to his daughter.

Brian, who now lives near Niort in France, had a long and distinguished career in law enforcement for the US government, mostly as a Treasury agent, but later, in Homeland Security. For a time he was also attached to the White House, and then to Interpol in France.

His beautiful table, with cabriole legs, has hand-carved finger joints and a perfectly-executed rule joint, which allows each side of the round table to fold down.

He chose the design because a round table of this design is better suited for smaller apartments.  It can be pushed against a wall as a console table or opened out as a dining table.

Brian’s grandfather was a carpenter, and his father took up woodworking in retirement, so maybe there’s more than a little sawdust in his blood.