Dr Lucy Worsley meets Anselm Fraser and learns how to make a Thomas Chippendale chair leg at the Chippendale International School of Furniture.
She describes the great craftsman’s famous Director as “like an Ikea catalogue” and sees a Chippendale chair worth a £1 million.
At the Furniture School, historian Dr Lucy Worsley has a shot at making a Chippendale chair leg in the School’s workshop using traditional methods with a little help from Anselm’s guidance.
[ Read More... ]We wanted to share this generous ‘thank you’ note received from David Cheshire, a former Chippendale International School of Furniture student from the US.
All the things I learned in the last nine months have sparked my passion for woodwork and I will always remember my time at the Furniture School. For me to achieve this I must say thank you to the people that helped make this happen.
[ Read More... ]An interview with Eilidh Keith, glass artist, a visiting specialist in stained glass
Eilidh Keith is the Chippendale International School of Furniture’s visiting ‘glass artist’, and spends a week each year during the third term teaching the furniture school students how to work with stained glass. Eilidh is one of the distinguished visiting experts who make invaluable contributions to enriching the woodworking courses. Her impressive business and teaching career extends to more than 20 years.
[ Read More... ]A blog by Jamie Wemyss about his projects and experiences as a student at the Chippendale International School of Furniture
When a piece of furniture is standing in front of you in its physical form, having evolved from only a seed in your brain, it fills you with an enormous sense of gratification. I have just completed my second term and have just experienced that sense of gratification for the second time…
[ Read More... ]Garry Macfarlane describes how he made an Art Deco dressing table while a student at the Chippendale International School of Furniture in Scotland.
Arriving for my second term at the Chippendale International School of Furniture, we were informed that we were to make a piece of veneered furniture. Ideally, we should think our design almost impossible to make and take the opportunity to introduce challenging features like curves into the design. The idea was to enhance our learning experience as much as possible. It was a perfect opportunity to indulge my interest in Art Deco.
After careful consideration I decided to make a ladies dressing table as I thought I stood a good chance of selling this at the end of year student exhibition. I had seen a number of examples of Art Deco style dressing tables with their curved edges, oversized mirrors and beautiful veneers, allowing me to use many of the shapes that the style is renowned for.
[ Read More... ]