The Grand Plan & Open Call

As the workshop renovation begins to settle into place, it feels like the right moment to share the broader ambition behind the move and what I hope this space will become over time.

When I first began searching for a new workshop, what mattered most was not only finding somewhere large enough to work, but also finding a place that allowed room to think more ambitiously about what a workshop could be. My aspiration was for it to be a space that functions first and foremost as a top-quality workshop, but also to be a space that welcomes visitors and presents finished work in the same environment in which it is made.

So alongside the bench and machine spaces, the goal is for the workshop to incorporate elements of a showroom and exhibition setting, allowing both the process and the finished work to be seen together. The long-term goal is to develop a limited calendar of events to invite visitors to see the work, but also how and where it is created.

Central to how I see the space developing is the presence of a small number of other makers working in wood, whose practices complement one another and who together can present an ambitious and well-curated body of work in a nourishing and inspiring place.

With that in mind, I would be very pleased to hear from other makers who feel their work might align with this direction and who may be interested in becoming part of the space as it develops. I am hoping to populate the space with makers of different disciplines, not only strict furniture makers, and I have designed the space and selected machines to facilitate that. So if you are, say, a sculptor of wood or a turner, I would also encourage you to get in touch, as much as I would other traditional furniture makers like myself.

Please send me a message at matthew@hensbyworkshop.com.