Ragna Gutschow

Cabinetmaker

Playful details

Ragna Gutschow often buys her wood as logs
Her family has been connected to craftsmanship for generations
Exchanging with her customers is an integral part of Ragna's work

Ragna grew up west of Hamburg, where she still lives and works. The Gutschow family has been involved with craftsmanship and aesthetics for generations. Ragna's grandfather was the architect Konstanty Gutschow, her sister is a goldsmith, and her father Halvor Gutschow was a well-known furniture maker whose company specialised in decorating famous yachts and ships. He was also responsible for the interior design of some villas under the direction of the star architect Caeser Pinnau. Ragna did her three-year apprenticeship in her father's company and then worked there for another year as a journeyman. Aged 27, when she was pregnant with her daughter, she decided to became self-employed.

Interview

©Von Vorne

What was the first object or piece of art you created?: Not the first but a very important object at the beginning of my self-employment were the yew tower drawers. In addition to offering a lot of storage space, they are graceful and take up little room. Shellac polish provides them with a warm appearance and an ebony strip is the sole handle. I built them for the MfKG in Hamburg and sold them to Schloss Gottorf, they earned me the Justus Brinkmann Award.
What is little known about your craft?: It's common for me to buy my wood in logs or raw boards from wholesalers. The tree trunks from which unique pieces of furniture are made often make my customers marvel. The idea that such a valuable piece of furniture can be made from a tree overwhelms many people.
What is the process of commissioning a piece of furniture from you?: Clients who commission furniture from me are usually familiar with my work. Customer contact is an integral part of my work. I am just as curious about my customers' wishes as about the way they live. During the design phase, I place special emphasis on the exchange with the client. .
Which details are important to you?: It's really important to me to pay attention to details on my furniture. Since I am a paper collector, drawers are my favourite. Often, I design bottoms for drawers with marquetry, leather or glass work by my friend Hartmann Grab. I enjoy working on details with skilled artisans from other trades. My sister and I design handles for furniture together, since she is a goldsmith.

Ragna Gutschow is an expert artisan: she began her career in 1987