I recently spent a fascinating day with furniture designer and maker Lawrence Goodwin at his workshop in High Wycombe. We documented the process of turning a raw plank of ash into a hand-crafted stool: planing the plank down, gluing sections together then cutting out the round seat, using a lathe to bevel the sides and a router to texture the underside.
Lawrence's workshop is in the crumbling former factory of G Plan, the iconic mid-century furniture company. The buildings are earmarked for demolition, and flats will be built on the site. Broken windows and thick cobwebs added a lot to the atmospherics of the space. It's a shame that Lawrence will have to find a new place to make his beautiful work, but I think he'll appreciate a slightly better insulated space next winter...
