Sebastian Cox

Furniture maker | London, United Kingdom

Recommended by

Crafts Council UK

From tree to table

Sebastian's works often use wood from his own woodland in Kent
He has used the craft of swilling to highlight its endangered status
He made his first piece of furniture for his grandmother when he was eight

When Sebastian Cox was a child, his parents built a business restoring traditional timber-framed houses, which gave him a taste of how to combine the creative and the practical in the world of work. It also engendered a deep appreciation and understanding of historical design and making. “We use traditional means of making to create contemporary pieces, complemented by digital technology,” he says. So successful has he been that his name is now synonymous with sustainable furniture making. At the heart of the studio’s ethos is Sebastian’s desire to champion British woodlands, and his work encapsulates the phrase “from tree to table”.

Interview

©Giovanni Nardi

When and how did you start your practice?: It grew out of my MA project where I fell in love with coppiced hazel through managing an area of woodland in the Lincolnshire Wolds. That led me to explore the materiality of coppiced wood to create contemporary objects that could change the way people engaged with the furnishing of their homes.
Do you link your craft to a sense of place?: We use British hardwood as often as possible, either harvested from our own woodland in Kent or from other sustainable, local sources. Britain has a beautiful selection of hardwoods that are perfect for making furniture, but are often overlooked and under-utilised.
Do you train apprentices?: Yes. We support our industry wherever possible, including a valuable apprenticeship scheme for young makers, currently in collaboration with the Buildings Crafts Colleges’ Bench Joinery Apprenticeship programme. Our first apprentice is now employed as a permanent member of our team.
What do you love about your profession?: I grew up in the countryside and always knew I wanted to work in a way that allowed me to be connected to nature, to work with my hands and to affect positive change. Managing the woodland, while creating contemporary and sustainable design, ticks all those boxes.

Sebastian Cox is an : he began his career in