Chippendale News

New Year is when we traditionally make our resolutions for the year. Most of the time, those resolutions are pretty small – to do a bit more exercise, or lose a bit of weight. Mostly, however, we’ve all but forgotten about them come mid-January! But, just sometimes, a resolution can last a lifetime and take […]

As the year draws to a close, we hope that 2018 will be one of inspiration for our students. By now, they’ve learned the basics of woodworking but, with only six more months to go, it’s time for them to unleash their imaginations. That means dreaming the impossible and, with our help and guidance, making

You might think that our main task at the Chippendale school is to teach fine furniture design and making. If so, you’d be wrong.  Our role is to unlock inspiration. Our students come from all over the world.  This year from the Falkland Islands to the USA; from New Zealand to India; from the UK

We’ve ended the year with our last one week “taster” course for 2017. Ten students have enjoyed the pre-Christmas course, learning DIY skills that they can usefully take home with them. Some one-week students have been on several courses with us, gradually building up their confidence and skills. Others combine the course with a longer

Most of our students, whether they come to us from school, college or for a second career, have long had furniture design at the back of their minds. But, like any passion, it sometimes takes a few years before the time seems right to pursue that woodworking dream. That’s true of Stephen Barr, originally from

Every furniture school has its own way of teaching the skills needed to become a fine furniture designer and maker. Some schools, for example, require students to endlessly make and remake dovetails until they are perfect.  Only then will they learn something new. It’s a teaching approach that makes for dovetail excellence, but at some