About me
James is a London based furniture designer and maker.
Having spent the last two years studying at the Building Crafts College, James seeks to marry traditional techniques with a contemporary style; exploring the natural qualities and idiosyncrasies of timber whilst playing with texture and nontraditional colour palettes.
His work looks to combine an instinctive and intuitive understanding of materials and processes with the technical rigours associated with traditional woodcraft.
Projects
- 'The Cartwright Chair', 2017The Cartwright chair was designed as an evolution in the vernacular tradition of Windsor chair making. Drawing inspiration from Hans Wegner’s P550 Peacock Chair, I wanted to create a chair that would draw on the history of Windsor chair making and make a legitimate contribution to the lexicon of contemporary Windsor styles. The generous proportions of the chair are designed to encourage a less prescriptive mode of sitting, offering a multitude of comfortable positions. The Chair’s defining char
- 'FORGE' - coffee table 2016'Forge' came in to being during my time as a student at the Building Crafts College. Designed to fulfill the most basic functions of a coffee table, it was conceived as a sculptural peice with a striking physical presence. Using simple repeated geometric forms, deep scorched blackened oak and brass reinforced joint work, the frame-like structure draws its design language from the industrial environs and architecture of East London's docklands, where it was conceived. The peice was designed in
- The Wilmot Table & Benches (2017)'The Wlimot' table & benches were a private comssion designed in conjunction with Jessica Summer, a fantastically talented interior architect and designer. The breif required an 6-8 seater dining table that would sit in the space adjectent to the kitchen which was also a a thoroughfare to the conservatory and garden. As such the overall footprint of the table and needed to be kept to a minimum. We incorporated slots in to the bench tops, that would allow the benches to slide on to the legs of the table and dissapper under the table's foot print. The bench legs then encased the void giving a broad stable base to the benches and concealing the table's leg. We used the same slot feature on the table's wide, solid legs; introducin this decorative feature we sought to simultaneously break up the broad face of timber, whilst offering a continuity of design language between benches and table. We sought to keep the aesthetic simple, clean and modern. Using pale solid ash throghout it was finished with a pale white protective stain (to preserve and minimise the yellowing of the ash over time). The finishing touches were some brass corner brackets housed in flush on the underside of each of the table's corner. Unfortunately the time frame for this commission was very very tight indeed so we didn't have time to get the finished product in to the studio for proper photography.
Work history
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New Designers ExhibitorN/A
- Business Design Centre, London N1 0RH, UKFreelance
I will be exhibiting my recent work at New Designers 2017 part 2, running from the 5th to the 8th of July.
I'll be on stand FP33 with my peers at the Building Crafts College.
Assistant cabinet maker
- Full Time
Worked for 3 months assisting a very experience cabinet maker on high end fit- out projects and free standing furniture. Designed for the top end of the West End property developer market, we were responsible for producing cabinetry work for a variety of spaces within the home, from drawings to finished units.
My role encompassed every step in the process from the machining of timbers and sheet, joinery, hardware fitting, to the finishing. During my time there, our projects ranged from high spec fitted cabinetry for a study, freestanding credenzas, coffee and dining tables and further fitted units.
Working in sustainably source hardwoods and sheet materials the emphasis at ACA Cabinetry is on fastidious attention to detail and absolute precision.
Skills
- Wood Turning
- Wooden Furniture
- Woodwork
- Basic Metalwork
- Bespoke Furniture
- Furniture Design
- Furniture Making
- 3D Sketching
- Model Making
- Writing
Education
Fine Woodwork Diploma
Due to graduate shortly from the 2 year Fine Woodworking Diploma, the course has provided a fantastic foundation on which i hope to build.
The first year of the course gives us a solid foundation of hand and machine based skills, whilst completing our Level II bench joinery qualifications. The emphasis is very much on practical work, with almost all time spent at the bench, also working hard to instil good machining skills and practices to enable us to progress in to the second year.
The second year places design firmly at the centre of activities, where we work through four main projects - Table, Cabinet, Chair and Batch product. Whilst we also complete wood machining and wood turning diplomas.
Each project has allowed me to develop ideas and techniques throughout the design, modelling and prototyping phases. My tutors have encouraged me to indulge in experimentation and push both technical and design boundaries, whilst i have worked hard to maintain the highest standards of technical rigour and skill.
Batchelor and Master of Arts - Social Anthropology
- Edinburgh, United Kingdom