Show goes on for class of 2020

We are hosting our annual Graduate Exhibition & Sale this October in its 35th anniversary year.

Despite the upheaval caused by Covid-19, our Graduate Exhibition & Sale will be open daily from Wednesday 14th to Saturday 17th October, showcasing the fine furniture work crafted by students on the Professional Course over the last nine months. The course provides students with all the necessary skills to set up and run their own furniture business, covering everything from design techniques to marketing strategies.

Students this year include a former commodities trader who left behind a seven-figure salary to pursue furniture making and a GP with more than 25 years’ experience in health care.

Braid side tables by Tom Powell (2020)

Tom Fraser, School Principal, said of the Exhibition:

“After months of uncertainty, we are looking forward to celebrating our students’ success and marking their graduation. The annual Exhibition is always a key date in our calendar, providing the opportunity to shine a light on the amazing design work our students have produced over the last nine months.

“Visitors can expect to see some truly outstanding work on display this year, which is a testament to the creativity of our students and the commitment of their tutors. Our Exhibition is a prime opportunity for anyone with an interest in design to check out work from some of our best talent here in Scotland!”

Surfer console table by James Bullen (2020)

Due to the current situation with Covid-19, all visitors to the exhibition must pre-book a ticket and timeslot in advance to ensure social distancing can be facilitated. Whilst in the Exhibition, visitors are asked to observe social distancing and wear a mask at all times.

Free tickets for the Exhibition can be reserved on Eventbrite.

For the first time, this year the Chippendale School will also be hosting a virtual show online so that more visitors can see the graduate show, wherever they are in the world. Live and pre-recorded videos will be shown on Facebook and Instagram as well as being published on our website.

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Why less is more – how our spending habits are driving the trend for bespoke furniture

With the rise of campaigns like Oxfam’s Second Hand September and the popularity of Marie Kondo’s decluttering methods, more and more of us are buying less than ever before.

A 2019 study found that people who consumed less, which involves repairing instead of replacing and avoiding impulse purchases, are happier than those who engage in other ‘green’ behaviours.

Our living spaces, like our budgets, are also not getting much bigger, prompting consumers to think hard about the durability and quality of the furniture they are buying.

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How Chippendale School is ensuring that traditional woodworking skills are preserved

Woodworking is an ancient craft, and at the Chippendale School we are proud to champion its immense value and promote the importance of preserving traditional techniques. 

It’s vital that we look after the heritage of this wonderful craft in order to see it thrive over the next century. If we don’t teach the next generation these techniques and the history behind them, then the skill gap may be irreversibly affected. 

Keep reading to find out how we preserve these age-old techniques on our courses, while at the same time combining them with modern methods to get the best of both worlds. 

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A current student’s story: James Bullen

At the Chippendale School, we welcome students from hugely diverse backgrounds to study the art of furniture making with us. Often, students have discovered a passion for woodworking that emerged later in life and are now acting on their enthusiasm to craft a fulfilling creative career.  

These career changers have often realised their former role wasn’t quite as fulfilling as it once was – and this is exactly what happened with current student James Bullen. 

James, a former commodities trader, left his role of 20 years as he felt that something was missing. He found it in woodworking – keep reading to find out all about James’ story and his experience of studying with us.  

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In a world of automation, we’ve never needed handcraft more

Although 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. 

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