Woodworking is something I’ve always loved despite never really having the chance to do much of it myself. Neither of my parents are what you could call ‘practical’ - every time I come home for Christmas there’s a whole list of DIY jobs waiting for me, usually with my ‘payment’ as the new tool required for the job - and so I never got much real world exposure to this kind of crafting. Instead I got my fix online, watching hours of ‘making’ and invention channels and imagining doing it all myself. Despite this, it was only in the last couple of years as this online viewing turned more towards fine woodworking and I gained access to the GSA technical department that I actually realised that this is something I could feasibly do myself.

I’m not someone who uses social media much, however I’ve never quite known whether YouTube can be classed as a form of social media. In some respects and use cases it definitely is, and with their attempted move towards short form content, a social platform is definitely something they’re trying to become. However, I’ve never used the website in this way. I see YouTube as a platform for longform content, one that allows absolutely anyone to tell longform stories. (For the one of the best examples of this, check out Australian storyteller Beau Miles here, I couldn’t recommend this video enough)

In this way, most of what I’ve watched on YouTube growing up is actually quite educational and a key subsection of this are the woodworking and ‘making’ channels that inspired me as a kid. This inspiration varied from DIY centred channels such as Simone Giertz, Laura Kampf or Make with Miles to more technical channels such as Stuff Made Here or Inheritance Machining and ultimately fine woodworking channels such as FourEyes Furniture, Matt Estlea or Blacktail Studio.


Feel free to take any of these as suggestions, all the above have links to each individual channel and if you’re someone in the design engineering space (or not) there’s a good chance you’ll find some inspiration! All of these channels not only make fantastic unique work, but have also developed their own style for documenting this work as long form content.

These channels are all about the process of making and I actually often find that the end result of a video isn’t something that I would personally want to buy, however one channel that’s changed this recently is Pedulla Studio, a woodworker from the East Coast of Australia. Of all the people I follow, Nick Pedulla might be the most talented craftsman and designer of all and may be the first maker I’ve seen consistently design and make pieces that I couldn’t even begin to comprehend building myself.

Pedulla Studio - (Find the channel here)

The quality of the craftsmanship and the level of finish and detail that he achieves is above anything else that I’ve seen. His designs are often simple in geometry, occasionally incorporating more flowing natural shapes that contrast this simplicity. I think my favourite of all his pieces is the bookshelf pictured here. The piece uses very simple geometric shapes, allowing the walnut it’s made from to shine whilst incorporating a number of small details in the design and craftsmanship that elevate the design with flawless execution.

I really do think that this kind of work is something I’d love to do in the future. Figuring out the order of operations to put together a piece and turn something conceptual into a 3D object is something I would find incredibly gratifying and think I have the potential to do to a high level. Just watching all these channels break down their process over the years has given me a strong foundational knowledge of all the kit and processes they undergo as well as all the technical jargon that comes with it. Talking to a number of woodworkers at the London Design Fair it seems like the easiest way into this kind of field is to start it as a hobby alongside a ‘normal’ job and let it grow organically to be something more. Unfortunately, the other resounding response from each of them was that this isn’t the field to enter if you were looking to make good money, not quite what you want to hear!

Ultimately I like to make objects that are functional and not purely aesthetic based. Furniture is one way into this however looking at designers such as Rio Kobayashi (Take a look at his website here) this isn’t something you have to limit yourself to. Chairs, tables and consoles still dominate a lot of his work, however there’s still room for a whole variety of different designs, from toys to speakers. His work is actually some of my favourite of anyone out there, it may even warrant its own blog post…

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5th Jan