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cabinet making

Introductory professional

There are some people who just know that a professional woodworking course is absolutely what they want to do.

Others, however, are not so sure.

It may be that they’ve had no prior woodworking experience or lack design skills.

But not to worry, because the Chippendale school doesn’t require experience or skill.  All we look for is a desire to learn those skills, which everyone does.

For those still undecided, one option is to enrol on one of our one-week introductory courses.

Ross Cunnison console table

These are designed to give students a taste of woodworking.  Therefore, to give the undecided a chance to make that decision.

It’s why, if an introductory course student does then enrol on our professional course, the introductory course fees are deducted in full.

That’s the route that Ross Cunnison from Edinburgh took.

Geophysics

He had previously worked offshore for ten years in the oil and gas sector.  He also studied geophysics at the University of Edinburgh.

His decision to enrol on our professional course was made having enjoyed one of our introductory courses last year.

Ross’ decision turned out to be a good one because he proved to be a skilled woodworker and won our Best Design Award.

It’s an annual award that we give to the student who, in our opinion, shows real design talent.

Ross Cunnison Shaker bench Chippendale

What we liked about Ross’ furniture was its simple honesty, yet with well-crafted flourishes that made the ordinary sublime.

That was particularly true of his Olive Ash side cabinet or credenza, with two beautifully-dovetailed drawers and two cupboards.

Imagination

Its creativity lay in a waterfall edge, with the grain of the wood perfectly falling from the cabinet’s top and down its sides.

That honest approach to furniture design is something that all good woodworkers have to master.

Because good design is about making utterly functional furniture, but with a little imagination thrown in.

Good design is therefore about subtlety, and instinctively understanding the interplay between form and function.

It’s an instinct that Ross demonstrated, and we’re delighted that he’s now setting up his own furniture making business, Ross Cunnison Bespoke Furniture.

 

 

 

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Superbike to “work of art” wins Forfar man Demarco Prize

A Forfar man who graduated last week from Scotland’s only furniture design school has won the prestigious Richard Demarco Design Prize.

Nick Smith (32) has transformed his Kawasaki Ninja 600cc motorbike into a “work of art,” according to Professor Richard Demarco CBE, Scotland’s leading arts commentator.

Nick is now creating Strathmore Restore from a new workshop in Forfar, and will be specialising in furniture restoration, kitchen design and creating bespoke furniture.

Nick’s project during his year at the Chippendale International School of Furniture was to painstakingly create intricate burr ash veneers with walnut accents to replace the bike’s original plastic fairings.

He also gilded the windscreen and wing mirrors and, to create the final “wow” factor, highlighted parts of the new veneered fairings with 23.5 carat gold.

The Chippendale school in East Lothian takes students from around the world for its immersive furniture design courses.  This year, students came from the UK, USA, Germany, Austria, Poland, India, Singapore, South Korea and Australia.

“Nick’s achievement has been to take something mass-produced and, with artistic talent and infinite skill, recreate it as a unique work of art,” said Professor Demarco.

Nick, who is originally from Montrose, will be splitting his time between life as a woodworker and his other entrepreneurial venture, Strathmore Brewery – a new Forfar artisan brewery that has just started supplying a range of ales that it says “reflect the heritage and soul of Scotland.”

He is a graduate of Robert Gordon University where he studied robotics, and who then worked as a control and automation specialist on large-scale computer systems.

Nick said that “Winning the award is an unexpected dream come true. Combining my new found passion working with wood, with a long standing passion for motorcycles was lot of work but a lot of fun too.”

Anselm Fraser, principal of the Chippendale school, said that “the delicate skills involved in bespoke furniture design and making can be applied in different ways, and Nick has demonstrated real skill and talent in turning something manufactured into an utterly original thing of beauty.”

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The Boat Man Moves North

A blog on progress since graduating by Sandy Boyd, winner of the Design Award on the 2011 -12 professional cabinet making course at the Chippendale International School of Furniture.

“Just buy the place – you really can’t lose at that price”. That was Anselm’s advice to me when, during  my second term at Chippendale, I tentatively showed him property particulars relating to a disused fish processing plant on the pier at Gairloch, Wester Ross, where I already had a house that I intended moving to after the cabinet making course.

At 414 sq meters it is an intimidating size and I would not have considered buying such a place had it not been available for a song, due to a liquidation sale. It also has the all important 3 phase power supply. Bankers had being trying to recoup their losses on it for 6 years.

Sandy's stunning clock created at the school

Sandy’s stunning clock created at the school

In the end, with advice similar to Anselm’s from a surveyor friend and the local council’s business start up advisor, they got 10% me and my lawyer had another 2% on top of that; the total would not buy you a new mid range car these days.

Every visitor gravitates to the pier so straight into business selling my nautically themed commissions to tourists smitten by the romance of the West Highland seaboard?  Not quite, there are a few issues to address, not least of which is the loft conversion at our house that Catherine rightly insisted should take priority.

This job is a story all on its own and nothing to do with cabinet making except that without Chippendale School of Furniture I would never have had the confidence to tackle all the heavy duty joinery.

To paraphrase Anselm “if you can build a box you can build anything” – it’s just a pity that I had already done the planning and building control applications before I learned his views on these particular matters!

There is also some boring stuff that goes hand in hand with a building like this. I have been speaking with the Highland Council about the rates, the building does not qualify for full remission under the Scottish Government small business scheme as the rateable value is too high, however they are allowing me some latitude whilst the business is being developed and have been unexpectedly helpful.

Getting reconnected to the electricity supply required a large deposit (£2,000) because, as a new business, I have no credit rating; every supplier told me the same thing.

Finding out who was responsible for the re-connection (the previous occupant having been disconnected as a bad debtor) was also a bit of work. The whole industry is now a bureaucratic nightmare created in the name of capitalist dogma. It was still “Bruce the Hydro” that turned up to flick the switch, as every local confidante predicted it would be.

Water supply for a business now follows much the same pattern but I gave up on ploughing that particular mine field when I found a stop cock and realised that we were good to go. No doubt they will come and find me at some point: I have not even started on telephones yet and I also have to pay to get my buckets emptied (in addition to any rates charged).

I spent some time speaking with a very nice lady at the NFU mutual office in Dingwall and, although I had a cheaper quote on line, I decided to take their building and general business cover because they offered to tailor things to my exact needs as the business develops and to come and see what was what on site.

You don’t get that service by speaking to a call centre in Calcutta and, in the end of the day, what we want insurance to do is to payout when things go wrong so I reckon the better informed of your actual circumstances the insurers are the more chance there is of that happening.

I dealt with a family firm in Barry, South Wales, imaginatively called “Used Woodworking Machines”. They seem to be the only used machinery supplier online that actually tells you how much money they want for an item.

Again, I could have had cheaper by doing the rounds of sales and private disposals but, being remote from the centre of things, that would have cost me more in time, effort and transport in the long run.

As it is I got a package deal on a full set of heavy machines, a single delivery charge, I have some kind of guarantee and everything is fitted with DC brakes ready for workshop sharing and tutoring or employing in the future.

Moving into December I will be setting up the machines. I have one commission from my exhibition at Chippendale and recently acquired a “friends and family” for a rocking chair, together with several word of mouth local enquiries about restoration work.

I doubt there will be masses of other work coming in the near future but I have plenty to do at the house and in developing and marketing the workshop premises.

Phase one involves creating a machine shop and work bench space, tidying up the frontage cosmetically, and creating some sort of showroom space in time for next tourist season.

I still have to clear out a lot of  stuff left over by the former owner, some of it, like the refrigeration plant, will raise cash in scrap value and some of it is just a nuisance – anybody want an artic lorry load of polystyrene boxes ? No? I thought as much!

As with the house I can do much of the building work around the place myself with a bit of help where needed – there is an interesting bartering of labour system goes on here among various self employed people. I quickly realised that playing the self help game in a remote area requires practical transport so out went the X trail and in came the Sprinter van.

It is all a bit nerve wracking at the moment, spend, spend, spend and no guaranteed income from it in the near future. Fortunately, I have cash to invest and I certainly would not advise anyone to take this deep end approach if they were dependant on borrowed money.

For me this is a second career and I am investing savings in both the house and business to achieve a lifestyle that I want. Not the most business like approach I know, but at fifty years old I have decided it’s a now or never. One thing I would advise anybody to do is get a decent accountant in on the act as soon as possible.

Their services don’t come cheap but even without having done much business yet, due to my accountant’s advice, I have been able to reclaim serious amounts of tax paid on other income, worthwhile even if he did claim around 20% of for his trouble.

I used the lifestyle business phrase when talking to the local Business Gateway advisor and quickly realised it was a mistake. In the midst of a recession the authorities are focused on supporting business that bring immediate employment and the more the merrier.

Not that they were offering me anything other than advice (and a bit of leeway with rates) but if anybody out there is banking on government support of any kind be warned, you need to dance very much to prescribed tunes!

So, by this time next year what will Wester Ross Woodwork look like? Well, if all goes according to plan we will have a presentable if somewhat utilitarian building with a “shop front” displaying examples of my own and other woodworker’s products (along with perhaps some leather or glass work made by my tenants, if I’m really fortunate).

Liz Jackson's versatile library steps.

Liz Jackson’s versatile library steps.

My fellow Chippendalian, Liz, and I will be sharing spacious workshop accommodation on the main ground floor area and we will have made a decision on either incorporating the first floor section into that facility or splitting it for rent, depending on how we see our plans for a teaching or training element developing.

We will have a smart new logo designed by a local professional graphic artist adorning the van and our local adverts and, because I have to actually do some woodwork at some time, my wife Catherine will be busily putting it to good use by applying the internet marketing skills she will learn on the free Gateway course – watch this space!

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How a new Chippendale Furniture student has been inspired by his Grandfather, a cabinet maker

examples-of-furniture_stude

Some examples of the pieces of furniture created by a student during his 9 month course

A blog by a British army officer Lieutenant Colonel Guy Harnby who will become a student in October 2011

What made you choose the Chippendale International School of Furniture?

A friend and neighbour, Stuart Janion, was a former student of the school some 8 years ago and he recommended the Chippendale School of Furniture.  He and his wife spent a very happy year living near the School in the Gifford area.

What are the attractions of furniture design and making?

Having spent nearly 30 years as a soldier, the idea of making and designing furniture offers new and exciting challenges; my Grandfather had been a cabinet maker at a firm in York for 40 years and I have a number of his pieces of furniture to inspire me!

Can you tell us something about your career in the army?

I joined the army in Berlin in 1982 before the wall came down, and have been privileged enough to serve in Norway, Denmark, Canada, USA, Zimbabwe, Cyprus, Bosnia, Iraq, Nepal, Northern Ireland and mainland UK, including the MOD in London.

I was commissioned into The Royal Regiment of Fusiliers in 1981 as a Second Lieutenant and will leave as a Lieutenant Colonel in October 2011.

More pieces of students' furniture

More pieces of students' furniture

What are your motivations, aims and ambitions as a student on the furniture design course?

I have spent the past year actively involved in the Casualty Management area of wounded soldiers returning from the conflict in Afghanistan, and in Soldier Recovery.

I want to get involved in reintegrating sick, injured and wounded soldiers into society through the medium of wood and furniture making, and have a number of ideas to take the idea forward in the next 5 years!  More to follow in time!

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Chippendale Furniture student launches business in Chippendale Incubator

David Lonsdale with the ipod stand and desk he made at Chippendale Furniture School

A blog by David Lonsdale a former Chippendale International School of Furniture student who has set up a furniture business in the Chippendale Furniture Incubator.

What sort of work were you doing before becoming a student at the Chippendale International School of Furniture?

I previously worked in sheet metal fabrication for an aerospace company (Midland Aerospace).  Working with metal I believe is a good flow through for then working with wood as you need the same attention to detail and very high tolerances especially with aerospace.
I then set up in business in 2004 as Lonsdale Home Improvements doing general DIY, decorating, basic joinery and carpentry.  I’ve always enjoyed working with wood and creating something out of nothing!

What were the highlights of your 10 month furniture design course?

I enjoyed being able to work with wood other than pine and MDF! Other highlights were being able to experiment with my own designs and ideas, and having the opportunity to express myself through my designs.
It was interesting having a mix of nationalities and cultures at the School, and seeing how it influences their style and designs.
Which pieces of furniture did you create while you were at the Chippendale School of Furniture?
My first term ‘solid wood’ piece was an olive ash writing bureau with a concealed chair and some secret compartments.  This was a more traditional piece which i originally made for myself but actually ended up selling at the School exhibition.
My second term ‘veneer’ piece was an i-pod shelving unit which we now just refer to as ‘the pods’.  I wanted to make a modern piece with a funky vibe to it yet still be functional; it is all wired up as an i-pod docking station.  You could call this modern art!
Please tell us about the business you have now set up: what are your objectives for the business?
Since finishing the course I have moved up to Scotland with my wife and children and have set up as LR Custom Furniture.  I am gradually building a reputable business.  I have attended plenty of craft fairs to market the business, products and bespoke furniture making service, and this has proved quite successful.
My aim is to build up the business with a solid reputation for unique, functional and beautiful furniture, kitchens and gifts.
Why did you choose to base yourself in one of the incubator units at the School?
Having not lived in Scotland before and, as I’d moved the family up, it seemed the most sensible option at the time. I wanted to have a solid base to build up my business but still have access to the School for advice and help if needed.

The remarkable iPod stand looks like a piece of modern art!

Could you please describe some of your recent commissions?
Previous commissions have been two oak bookcases. These were built to fit into difficult spaces that no ‘off the shelf’ product suited.  Another commission was a modern occasional chair made from sycamore and upholstered by me.  This was made for a very lucky lady as her Christmas present!
My most recent commission is a walnut chaise longue.  It was made to my customer’s specification but I still managed to put a bit of my own design into it by suggesting storage compartments under the seats and putting it on castors to make it more versatile.

Read More

A Strathclyde police officer’s first impressions as a Chippendale Furniture student

Sean works on his grandfather clock at the Chippendale School of furniture

A blog by Sean McManus, furniture design student

Rapidly approaching the mid point of my course at the Chippendale School of Furniture I find myself reflecting on what has gone and, with some trepidation, to what has yet to come. To use the old cliché, it does seem like only yesterday I visited the school for the first time and was taken aback by the results achieved by the previous year’s students. Their furniture designs were on display for all to see in the great hall, open to criticism from anyone with an opinion, and the acid test awaits… ‘will it sell!’

With a head full of 1001 thoughts, I signed up and turned up first in the car park that Monday morning having driven the 54 miles to the School from home. By the end of the first week I realised the daily commute of 108 miles, which was taking over 2 hours, was not going to work. Isobel to the rescue! I, along with another student (Quentin), was to move in with a second student (Lee) and her partner from Monday to Friday, saving the 2 plus hours of daily travelling and allowing me to work on late most evenings.

Having come from a traditional background of a 4 year apprenticeship, where learning came through repetition, the learning environment at the School is quite different. You are given your head, encouraged to try new things, often resulting in learning through making mistakes. A great deal of discussion takes place between students and staff as well as between students themselves, igniting the thought process from which new ideas evolve into realisation (thanks for the tambal idea, Quentin!).

This course is in my opinion geared towards those who intend starting in business on completion, which is my intention. The basics of costing a job, and lists of suppliers for all things required to start and run a business is a godsend, without which much time would be spent attending business start up courses.

Giving more thought to what I said at the start I have changed my mind; I am now looking to what is still to come, not with trepidation, but with anticipation. Bring on the second half!

Read More

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Chippendale International School of Furniture
Gifford
East Lothian
EH41 4JA near Edinburgh
Scotland
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