I’ve been making bespoke furniture for about ten years now. It takes a lot of patience and skill to make something right the first time round (there’s never much money for prototyping!). But I love what I do, I love the materials I use, but mostly I love the fact that I’m part of a tradition that will carry these skills into the future. My great-grandfather was a joiner. I have some of his furniture at home. With a little luck some of my furniture will weather just as well, passing from one generation to the next.

In these days of instant messaging, ready meals and next day delivery, crafting a really beautiful piece of furniture goes well and truly against the grain (no pun intended!). It can take quite a few months to see a project through from start to finish. But it’s worth it. You’ll own something unique, something that was made just for you and the way you live. That’s not something that ‘instant’ can offer!