Apprentice Notebook

What is it about wood that captivates us? Modern materials abound, yet so often we return to wood when seeking a 'certain something' in our furniture. Certainly the life found in a board of timber draws in many - the grain, the colours, that close feel to the natural world.

There is both an artistic and a technical side to what we do here at Rowden. Our drawings from the natural world form the essential 'vocabulary' that influences our designs, and we are encouraged to draw frequently.  However, when it comes to actually making a piece, we switch firmly into technical gear.

There is something very special, in my mind at least, in my first big project being the bench upon which I will make everything else. A cabinetmaker's bench is his largest and arguably most important tool. More than just a tabletop with a vice attached, the bench is the first bespoke piece of furniture that we make here at Rowden.