How to price furniture – advice for woodworkers 

You’ve lovingly perfected your woodworking skills, put in the hours in the workshop, and finessed your style – it’s finally time to start selling your furniture!  

For many new owners of furniture making businesses, how to price furniture will be first on your list of queries. 

It’s vital that you cost your work fairly to ensure your hard work is being appropriately rewarded. Here Tom Fraser, Principal of the Chippendale School, offers his advice on how to price your furniture. 

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Chippendale International School of Furniture Wins Best Business Award

The Chippendale International School of Furniture has been named winner of the prestigious Best Small to Medium Sized Business Award at the 2014 Best Business Awards.

The Chippendale International School in East Lothian is acknowledged as being one of the finest furniture design and restoration schools internationally and in 2015 will be celebrating its 30th birthday.

Each year the school takes some 20 students from around the world for 30-week immersive courses, cramming three years of study into less than one year. This year’s intake comes from the UK, Canada, USA, Italy, Trinidad and Tobago and Norway.

The school also offers incubation space on-site, so that graduating students can set up in business within the school, and have access to ongoing advice and specialist help – a practical way to ensure that students make a successful transition into full-time self-employment.

The school teaches age-old craftsmanship coupled with modern techniques, and aims to unlock students’ latent creativity. Former students can be found from Australia and Japan to the USA and Canada – and everywhere in between.

The BBAs pride themselves on having a large panel of over 20 independent expert judges who select winners according to strict criteria for each category and sector.

The Best Business Awards judges said:

“The Chippendale International School of Furniture, based near Edinburgh, has built up a global reputation and become the place to go for students from all over the world to learn about traditional and new methods of craftsmanship.

“What is interesting is that the not-for-profit organisation is funded by students’ fees, making it totally self-sufficient. Any surplus is reinvested in the business. By focusing on a niche area of education, The Chippendale International School has raised the profile of furniture design and enhanced the reputation of the UK as centre of excellence in woodwork and craftsmanship.

“The Best Business Awards are one of the UK’s highest profile awards and winning this accolade speaks volumes about the quality of your organisation. Due to its high profile, the Awards attract a wide range of entries from across all sectors from large international PLCs and public sector organisations to dynamic and innovative SMEs. The winners all have one thing in common – they are truly excellent at what they do and The Chippendale International School of Furniture has proved this by winning a Best Business Award.

”Anselm Fraser, principal of the school, said that “on behalf of the all of teaching staff, we are delighted to have won this award. For the past 30 years we have worked hard to build the profile of the school internationally and are proud to have launched the careers of so many people.”

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Limited edition Gomo chaise longue hand crafted by Chippendale graduate

It’s an absolutely unique chaise longue. Contemporary, slender and amazingly comfortable. It also represents the very best of British woodworking craftsmanship and high-end Portuguese design.

Gomo chaise longue detail

The Gomo, of which only 36 will be made, costs £6,000 and is crafted from ash and American black walnut. It was recently exhibited at the Scottish Furniture Makers’ Association summer exhibition.

It’s the result of a collaboration between Uchnops™, an international design brand, and Alasdair Easton of Organic Geometry, both based in East Lothian, near Edinburgh.

Alasdair is a graduate of the renowned Chippendale International School of Furniture, and his company is still based at the school – which offers its students workshop space to develop their businesses after graduation.

Gomo chaise longue

Alasdair is a Scottish Furniture Makers’ Association award winner, whose work has been exhibited across the UK, including the London Design Festival, Clerkenwell Design Week, and SFMA exhibitions in Edinburgh and Glasgow.

Uchnops™ is a new design brand, initially specialising in house-wares and furniture, but which intends to grow into a complete high-end product design brand with an international clientele.

“The Gomo is beautifully crafted and is being made in very limited numbers. It will find a ready market among discerning collectors of modern furniture worldwide,” said Alasdair. The Gomo chaise longue is available from www.uchnops.co.uk .

Gomo in Portuguese means “segment” – as in a segment of orange, and reflects the shape of the chaise longue.

Contact details for Alasdair Easton: 07763 126 765 or Alasdair@organicgeometry.co.uk

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