2020 has the been the year that bulldozed us with a series of challenges which have affected how we live, work and play. 2021 promises a vaccinated world, yet society looks set to remain influenced by the impact of this global pandemic. But what will that world look like? In this blog, Tom Fraser, Chippendale School Principal considers how the rise of working from home (WFH) is shaping the design of our homes.
Read MoreThe Fine Furniture Guild was established in 2017 by Chippendale School founder Anselm Fraser, to celebrate its alumni and help connect fine furniture makers with consumers. We have been working hard on developing a new look and feel for the Guild in our 35th anniversary year and are excited to announce the launch of our new website: www.finefurnitureguild.com.
Read MoreNovember was an exciting month at the Chippendale School, as we welcomed our new class of Professional Course students to the workshops of our furniture making school. The start of term brought with it 26 new faces and lots of inspiring energy from our latest pupils.
We are really looking forward to seeing how they develop their skills over the coming nine months of hard work. They will learn essential furniture design and woodworking techniques, with our expert tutors giving their insight so students can grow into master fine furniture makers and start their own businesses.
Read MoreAn interview with Anselm Fraser, Chippendale School Founder
The Chippendale School was established in 1985. Taking us back in time before the woodworking school was born, can you tell us where your furniture making journey began?
AF: From a very young age, I was obsessed with working with my hands. I was not, and still am not, an academic person so school was not easy, particularly as I am heavily dyslexic. I recall many an afternoon hiding in the woodshop at school, whilst my classmates were on the sports fields.
As a young man, I was lucky enough to learn the craft of antique furniture restoration at a small school that is no longer running. Whilst on this course I decided that I would like to open a school of my own, so we moved to Scotland and the next year, the Anselm Fraser School of Antique Furniture Restoration was born, later to be renamed The Chippendale International School of Furniture.
Read MoreDespite a turbulent year, the Chippendale International School of Furniture’s class of 2020 put on a stellar display of their work at our Graduate Exhibition & Sale in October.
Our yearly show is the opportunity for graduating students of our furniture school in Scotland to show the fruits of their labour following nine intensive months on the Professional Course. This year’s show was especially significant, highlighting both our 35th year and the resilience of our students in the face of Covid-19 challenges.
Read MoreAlthough technology has made our lives easier in many ways, there are still some things it can’t replace – a treasured family heirloom, a handcrafted piece of furniture and a one-of-a-kind artwork will always spark a joy that mass-produced pieces cannot match.
The Covid-19 lockdown period also introduced a new wave of people to the joys of making things by hand – the UK’s largest craft retailer, Hobbycraft, saw the numbers of people visiting the ‘ideas’ page on their website triple since lockdown began. We have seen an influx of enquiries about our cabinet courses of all levels too which is extremely exciting for our age-old craft.
Read MoreThe Chippendale School is currently closed in line with Scottish Government Covid-19 guidelines. We are still accepting applications for our courses during this time, please see the course pages for key details including how to apply.
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