Before becoming a furniture maker I worked as a university researcher in biophysics. This was a fascinating subject but for me lacked a practical element. I find being a furniture maker is a perfect blend of the abstract and the practical. A successful furniture designer-maker must be a seamless blend of artist and scientist, an artist to produce beautiful and coherent designs and a scientist to realise these designs in an effective and efficient manner. I find the artistic side particularly challenging, but am continually intrigued by the principles that underlie ‘good’ design. Surprisingly most design principles stem from mathematical principles so the scientist in me isn’t entirely lost. The aim of my designs is not to ‘wow’ but to quietly impress through clean lines and simple forms. Similarly, my designs embrace our design heritage. The desire for new or novel designs can often tempt one to ignore the principles of sound design.
