Introduction
Over the last few years I have been making and designing Windsor or Welsh Stick style chairs and benches. The aim has been developed to make chairs that work and are also a form of sculpture. I want the chair to visually remind us of its origin in a tree and to be identifiably crafted and the result of hard work. I usually leave and highlight bark and it’s layers and even lichen and the small hairs it produces.
The designs have all been reasonably successful and people have praised the look and comfort of the end results. Each time I have done one I have experimented with the materials and the geometry and have learnt a lot about what makes a good looking, comfortable and well constructed chair.
Like most chair makers, I have become a bit of a chair bore. I am not an expert but I thought that my experimental approach and experiences might be useful for others. I produced it as a booklet at first, but am now including it in my web page, so it can be more easily updated. When I produced the first booklet, I was pleased to carry on working in wood because my dad worked most of his life as a carpenter. Later I discovered that my great great uncle was a cartwright, a closely related occupation. I am happy to pay homage to such skilled people without having an over romantic notion of their place in society.
There are stacks of really good books out there, by people who make their living from this, so this short piece is not comprehensive but covers some design tips that might be helpful if you want to design your own chair. I’ll just do a very short bit of introduction and name mentioning by way of thanks, then we’ll get straight into the design side.