CONTEMPORARY BESPOKE HANDMADE FURNITURE
WHO
Having trained in Fine Furniture at The Building Crafts College in London, I launched James Bowyer Furniture in 2017. I established our beloved workshop in an old Victorian stable block by the canalside in Mile End, East London. The workshop is set within an amazing complex of shared studios, hosting woodworkers, robotic engineers, architects, jewellers and more.
We have an amazing physical space to work in and consider ourselves extremely lucky. It’s a rare and inspiring gem in the maelstrom of Central London.
My work has been represented by Mint gallery & Sims Reed Gallery, shown at Masterpiece and published in various editions of House & Garden, Country Living, Living Etc… and The Design Anthology. I have also written special instructional feature articles on the technical ‘how to’s’ of my work in Furniture & Cabinetmaking magazine.
I was selected to participate in the 2019 edition of the UK Crafts Council’s Hothouse program, incubating up and coming uk craft talent.
While studying in 2017 I was awarded first place in a design competition at Richard Rogers’ prestigious firm Rogers Stirk Harbour + Partners. Designing a component for Transport for London’s new flagship office complex.
My main bench, and a new chair prototype awaiting its back rest.
WHAT
The work we produce at James Bowyer Furniture focuses on making to commission for both the residential and commercial sectors. Working alongside interior designers, architects and private clients we deliver exceptional one off and small batch pieces of furniture.
We firmly believe that pieces of furniture are not merely beautiful inanimate objects to be looked at, but characters; active participants in our lives. Our furniture is designed and made to be a member of the family, taking on stories of its own; the table around which you have those formative conversations; the chair you sit in to read words that change the way you think; the games table that connects you to your loved ones without having to say a word. The character of a piece of furniture is determined by both the process in which it is made and the context it then lives in. We therefore put a real focus on fostering a relationship with our clients so that we can create the perfect unique piece for them.
As craftsmen we are endlessly fascinated by and passionate about the journey of making furniture. The environment our furniture is made in is one of exploration, innovation, creativity and precision. We adapt the way we work to suit the needs of each individual piece and client, relishing exploring new aesthetics, materials and methods. The result is a unique piece with character and a story.
It’s our hope that every ounce of love and dedication we pour into our furniture will, over time, slowly seep out in to the lives of its future owners and quietly, gently enrich their world.
We combine traditional joinery techniques, hand tools and cutting edge making technology with the finest sustainable British timber to produce work of the highest possible quality. This requires time and focus and allows us to really imbue our pieces with personality, but most importantly it ensures our furniture can be enjoyed and loved by generations.
Every piece that leaves the workshop leaves as a friend and will serve their owners as such.
HOW
The commissioning process starts with a chat in which we will discuss the project, sketch out budgets and talk about the client's vision, needs and wants for a piece.
We are equally happy to start this process from scratch or work with fully resolved designs. In the latter case the conversation moves quickly to technical considerations, joinery design, and, most excitingly, materials.
We take our material very seriously. We love timber.
In the early stages of the commissioning process we will provide material samples. We make an extensive range of samples to meet your specification, so if you are looking for a particular colour, texture or finish to fit with a scheme or realise a vision, we will work with you to ensure our furniture fits in perfectly.
We also have an ever expanding in-house sample library, which I like to use to encourage our clients to explore and discover more of our wonderfully diverse British timbers. This is a particularly pleasing part of the commissioning process as it is often when a client starts to properly visualise the piece feel the materials and get really excited.
From this point we will refine drawings, finalise pricing, take a deposit payment (usually 50% upfront and 50% on delivery and sign off), agree a provisional delivery date and then get to buying materials.
We are committed to supporting British woodlands and their responsible healthy management. As such all our timber is sourced from timber mills we have close relationships with and are 100% sure the timber is coming from sustainably managed British woodlands.
If you have a project you’d like to discuss, please don’t hesitate to get in touch.
We’d love to hear from you.