From intricate joints to stunning custom pieces, our furniture makers have worked at the finest workshops in the country and bring a dedication to quality and tradition that sets us apart from other brands…
Can you talk us through what goes on in the furniture bay and what you do?
Tom: ‘As the furniture lead, my role is managing the projects. When a hut order comes down with the drawings, I have a look at it and allocate who’s going to work on which part of the project, whether it’s a king-size bed, oak table or fully fitted kitchen.
‘I tend to take on the more unusual or bespoke projects, like the drop-down oak table we made recently for a customer that was much larger than we usually deal with. It was made of solid oak and really heavy, and we had to come up with a mechanism for raising and lowering it that could handle the weight without affecting the structure. We drew it up, planned it out, and built a mock-up out of softwood to make sure the system worked. Once we had that sorted, we moved on to crafting the final version.
This clever mechanism and furniture design went viral on our Instagram – see here
What have been your favourite furniture projects to work on?
Simon: ‘One of my favourite projects was a huge oak shelving unit that took up an entire wall of a hut for one client, who was a prominent Nineties rock star. It was over three meters wide and made from really beautiful, carefully selected top-grade oak, which along with ash is one of my favourite woods. It was an amazing project to work on.
‘We’ve also recently had a customer who wanted us to use oak from their own garden. They had the timber felled, air-dried and brought to us to turn it into a full kitchen and bed. It’s so rewarding to see it transformed into something personal.’
What can a workshop visitor expect to see in the furniture bay?
Tom: ‘The bay has six work benches – two for each member of the team. It’s where we do all the furniture building. Most of the tools are here, and everything is set up for what we need. The main piece of equipment in the furniture department is the panel saw – it cuts and dimensions timber, trims panels, and allows us to cut at different angles or for joints. Then we’ve got a planer, which is used to straighten and prepare timber, and the spindle moulder, which shapes profiles onto the edges of wood or cuts slots for joints. It’s versatile for creating everything from decorative edges to details like mortice and tenons joints.
‘We also use routers a lot, which are handy for cutting recesses for hinges or shaping profiles. We also have a thicknesser, which helps us take larger pieces of wood and get them down to the right size or thickness.’
What’s the biggest challenge you face in your work?
Pete: ‘Every piece of timber is different, which makes every project a rewarding challenge. You never know exactly how the wood will behave, so it’s about adapting and problem-solving. I really enjoy working on joints – it’s all about precision and getting the fit just right. When you see a finished piece, it’s such a good feeling knowing that every joint is perfect.’
What do you enjoy about working at Plankbridge?
Simon: ‘Taking a rough piece of wood and turning it into something that people will have for years to come. It’s incredibly satisfying. The team is another great part – we all pull together, even when deadlines are tight. And we always have a laugh along the way.’
Do you draw a lot on centuries-old techniques?
Pete: ‘Yes, definitely. Traditional techniques like mortise and tenon joints are still a huge part of what we do. It’s about blending the best of the old and the new, using modern machinery. Furniture making basically hasn’t really changed a great deal over the past couple of hundred years. That is what makes it such a special place to work and ownership plays a big part in this – everyone here takes huge pride in their work. We all know that our customers pay a lot of money for their huts, so we want to build something that is the absolute best it can possibly be.’
