Student Stories Archives - Chippendale School of Furniture

From construction to crafting fine furniture: John Heuchan’s woodworking journey

Every year at the Chippendale School, we welcome dozens of people who have decided to swap their previous careers for the fulfilling journey of furniture making.

One of these career-changers was John Heuchan (Laurel & Wood) who joined us on our 2020/21 Professional Course. Before the pandemic hit, John worked in the construction sector, however, in 2020 he began to re-consider his career choice.

Keep reading to hear from John on what his woodworking journey has been like so far…

Spotlight on 2021 Graduates – Group 4

Last but never least, here are the profiles and exquisite furniture pieces crafted by our fourth group of students at the 2021 Graduate Exhibition & Sale. Group 4 were tutored over the past year by Matty.

A wonderful time was had by all at the Graduate Exhibition and Sale which was held at the School from September 8^th-11^th. Visitors came to the school to view the graduates beautiful work in person and we were also able to take video highlights, which are available here for anyone who was not able to make the show.

If you would like to reminisce about the show, or see more of the work from our graduates for the first time – have a look at our Instagram and Facebook pages where we have shared some impressive images and key information from the exhibition.

Spotlight on 2021 Graduates – Group 3

Introducing our third group of talented students who are showcasing their finely crafted pieces at the 2021 Graduate Exhibition & Sale. Group 3 were tutored over the past year, by Clare and Grant.

Spotlight on 2021 Graduates – Group 2

Our 2021 Graduate Exhibition & Sale is here! So, we wanted to tell you about more of our graduates and their stunning work. Next up is Group 2, who were tutored over the last year by Andrew Cockerill.

Spotlight on 2021 Graduates – Group 1

With our 2021 Graduate Exhibition & Sale fast approaching, we will be profiling our soon-to-be graduates and their exquisite creations over the coming weeks. First up is Group 1, who were tutored over the last year by Graham Davies.

Our Graduate Exhibition is taking place here at the School from September 8th-11^th and we will be welcoming visitors to the school and also creating highlight videos for those unable to attend in person.

If you’d like to attend, please book in a free time slot here. If you can’t make It, don’t worry, as we’ll be sharing lovely content from the exhibition across our website, Instagram and Facebook pages too!

Student story: Moving to the other side of the world to start a furniture making business

Have you thought about moving career, and maybe even moving country? Jason Hicks has done both! Originally based in Australia, Jason made the decision to move to Scotland to study at the Chippendale School, after a year spent travelling around Europe and the UK.

Here is the full story of how Jason got into woodworking and started up his own furniture making business.