Young Northumberland furniture maker is a national finalist yet again
A man undertaking an advanced apprenticeship in furniture making with Otter Handmade in Rothbury has been selected for the third year running as a finalist in a national competition.
Cole Thompson, of Morpeth, impressed the Furniture Makers’ Company with his design for a hand crafted wine cabinet – which has been selected for its prestigious exhibition in London.
In 2024, after just six months of training, his bench design came fourth.
Last year, his Japanese inspired Kumiko cabinet came second and attracted the attention of Japanese master furniture makers, the Japanese embassy and TV companies in Japan.
This year, he has designed a wine cabinet that reflects traditional Northumbrian forestry and the effects of 2021’s Storm Arwen.
It is a piece in which the origin of the material, the design and the making process are intended to tell one coherent story.
Following visits to Shiellow Wood near Belford, where he spent time with land owner John Monaghan, Cole learned about this 300 hectares of managed mixed age and species forest.
John manages the woods to optimise production, amenity and wildlife. Trees are cut to order using a principal of continuous cover which eliminates clear felling.
When unusual or large trees are felled by storms, they are milled on site and dried for use in furniture and cabinet making.
This has resulted in a number of partnered projects with Otter Handmade that Cole has worked on and has given him the opportunity to be involved in the treatment and use of timber from ancient oak trees felled by Storm Arwen.
Cole said: “Visiting Mr Monaghan’s woodland has extended my interest in the importance of sustainable woodland management, encouraging biodiversity and protecting local wildlife.
“My time in the woods has given me a greater understanding of the journey from tree to finished timber and a deeper appreciation of the materials used in furniture making. I wanted to design a piece that honoured those principles and celebrated the beautiful ancient oak tree felled by the storm.”
His resultant design is made from a single section of the oak’s trunk and uses clean proportions and simple geometry to highlight the beauty of the wood’s natural grain patterns.
The strong vertical grain creates a calm and consistent surface across the doors that contrasts with a pattern of individual, oak veneer, marquetry leaves across the doors.
Each leaf is unique and they are arranged to suggest a sense of being blown by a great wind.
The thinking behind it is that the varied angles of the leaves and their flowing composition creates a sense of the chaos and energy of Storm Arwen – contrasting to the straight grain and structured form of the cabinet.
Cole’s employer and mentor John Holt, of Otter Handmade, said: “Cole’s work is increasingly focused on combining traditional furniture-making skills with contemporary design and decorative techniques.
“His careful observation of his materials and his considered and principled designs are evidence of his development as a very talented furniture maker.
“I am immensely proud of his achievements and look forward to him completing his apprenticeship next summer and joining me as a fully qualified craftsman.”