The Journal is a place for me to share a bit more of what goes on behind Kille – the work in progress, the thinking behind a piece, interesting details from current projects and the occasional challenge that seemed like a good idea at the time.
A lot happens between an initial sketch and a finished piece of furniture or joinery. There are decisions around materials, proportions, construction and finishes, alongside plenty of problem solving along the way. Some of the best details can easily disappear once everything is fitted and finished, so this is somewhere to document them properly.
You’ll find projects currently taking shape in the workshop and on site, along with finished work, techniques, materials and the things I’ve picked up over the years. Hopefully it gives a better idea of not just what I make, but how and why I make it.
My own route into woodworking wasn’t exactly conventional.
I first studied Carpentry and Joinery while serving in the British Commando Forces. I loved my time serving, but it didn’t take long to realise that woodworking was what I really wanted to pursue. What started as an interest quickly became something of an obsession.
After leaving the Commandos, I spent time travelling around the world, learning wherever I could and picking the brains of some incredibly talented craftspeople and creatives along the way. Since then, I’ve dedicated myself to developing my skills across furniture making, joinery, carpentry and fitting.
I’ve never really seen those as completely separate disciplines. Understanding how something is designed and made in the workshop is just as important as understanding how it will eventually fit, function and live within a space. Each skill feeds into the next, and that approach has become a big part of how I work at Kille.
I’m still learning, experimenting and finding better ways of doing things – and I don’t think that ever really stops with this kind of work.
So that’s what this Journal is for. A slightly less polished look behind the finished photographs: what I’m making, what I’m learning and what’s actually happening in the workshop.
