Furniture from the urban forest
- Rob trained at London's City & Guild in handmade furniture and wood machinery
- His furniture is handcrafted using materials sourced from London’s gardens and parks
- Decorative veneering is the technique he has specialised in
It all began at school for Rob Brain. When he was 11 years old, he created a calendar for his mother, and became hooked on the satisfaction of creating something tangible. It took a little while for life to lead him to his passion. Rob first completed a degree in philosophy, and spent several years travelling and working in an office. In 2014, an advert for a handcrafted furniture-making course made him consider transforming his love for making things into a new professional path. “The smell of wood, the tools, the machines and finished furniture I saw resonated with me deeply," he explains. After two years of City & Guild training in traditional hand skills and working with several masters, in 2016 Rob opened his first workshop. His specialisations include designing considered furniture that enhances timber’s innate qualities, sourcing materials from London’s felled trees.
INTERVIEW
I make considered use of different species and cuts of timber. For example, choosing a particular cut that will be enhanced by a particular profile, or using a finish treatment that accentuates the innate qualities of a particular species.
I prioritise sourcing as much solid timber as possible from trees that grew in and around London. These trees succumb to age or are felled during development work, and working with long-standing partners, these are milled and dried to be used in furniture making, giving the tree a second life. I am often able to use timber in a project that grew only a few miles away from the property.
I always look to traditional approaches of a design that has stood the test of time, be it a design detail or a technical solution. At the same time, I could not operate without relying on CNC machining.
One of my most memorable experiences was securing a beech tree that grew in Kensington Gardens. This tree had succumbed to basal decay and needed to be felled. I partnered with the Royal Park colleagues to mill and season this beautiful tree, and three years later was able to use the timber for a project less than two miles away.
