John Makepeace Furniture Ltd Honorary Fellow

The crafts associated with wood really start when nature, or a forester, deposits a seed in the ground. The history of that seed, soil, climate and subsequent sylviculture will determine the quality of the timber. Trees, especially our indigenous hardwoods, are so important to the landscape. The maker gives those trees a new and indefinite life once they reach maturity, enriching our lives and providing an expression of our time for future generations. No small responsibility.

There is a fine tradition of craftsmanship in wood for buildings, boats, musical instruments, utensils, paper and furniture. Through their deep and intimate understanding of different timber’s properties, makers are able to select the most suitable species and the best part of the tree to fulfil a particular function over time.

Whilst there is no better way to learn about the properties of wood than working it by hand, many of the more laborious processes can be assisted by advancing technologies, giving the imaginative maker new scope for individuality in unprecedented ways. To remain vital, tradition responds to change.

For example, material science reveals the benefits of using materials for their best properties. Whilst strong for its weight and aesthetically pleasing, wood tends to fail at its junctions. Combining materials with contrasting properties achieves vastly superior performance.

The history of art and design closely reflects the changing social, economic and philosophical climate. The time required to produce works of distinction has always been more expensive but the adventure of commissioning makers enables their shared vision to be realised, a collaboration that can yield ‘landmarks’ in the constant search that drives us forward.

A founding member of the Crafts Council UK in 1975, John was a trustee of the Victoria & Albert Museum, London from 1987–91. He was awarded an OBE in 1988 for his services to furniture design, and received a Lifetime Achievement Award from the American Furniture Society in 2004. In 2012, John's work was included in the UK’s Victoria & Albert Museum exhibition British Design 1948–2012: Innovation in the Modern Age. John is also the proud winner of the UK’s Prince Philip Designers Prize in 2016, in recognition of his contribution to design through his own design practice, the college he established at Parnham House in Dorset in 1976, and the research and development of sustainable timber utilisation and building systems for the Trust’s forest campus in 1982, at Hooke Park, an educational facility for design, workshop, construction and landscape-focused activities. More recently, John was the winner of the Woodland Heritage's Peter Savill Award in 2022.

John's work has been commissioned by some of the world’s most distinguished corporate and private collections. Early professional recognition led to his being appointed a consultant to All India Handicrafts Board, a founding Member of the Crafts Council and a Trustee of the V & A. In addition to his many private clients, commissions for Plymouth University, Templeton and Keble College, Oxford, Liberty’s, the Fitzwilliam Museum, Birmingham, Cardiff and Leeds City Galleries, The Royal Scottish Museum, Edinburgh, the V & A, London, the Museum fur Kunsthanwerk, Frankfurt, the Art Institute, Chicago, and the Banque General du Luxembourg have followed.

John specialises in the design of furniture and interiors for private clients from his home and studio in Beaminster, West Dorset. In adjacent seasoning sheds, extraordinary trees of indigenous timber are seasoning in preparation for future commissions. He compares his role to that of the composer and conductor working with instrumentalists, the craftsmen he has worked with for many years.

John welcomes meeting prospective clients by appointment to discuss future projects.