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Neither Richard nor Paul started out as wood workers. Richard used to be an architect. "I worked in London for 10 years and then decided to do something a bit more creative."

Paul Steel

"I moved to Thirsk and started working for the man who had this business before me. He started the business in 1983, I started working with him in 1989 and took over from him in 1993."

Challenge

Over the last 16 years the pair have turned their hands to a variety of woodworking projects. Richard Burnley says "We do anything which comes along, from a jewellery box to a kitchen, we did a pulpit last year, bookcases, chairs, tables, anything you can think of, we’re prepared to do it."

Assembling a cupboard door

Sometimes clients have a firm idea about what they want, but more often they will leave the Design in Wood team considerable scope for creativity. Paul says "they want the furniture to do a certain job and they tend to leave it to us how it will look.

This type of work is challenging in more ways than one. Paul enjoys the 'problem-solving' challenges of adapting a client's ideas. But Richard admits demand for their furniture is 'light'.

Richard Burnley

He believes contemporary hand-made furniture is a niche market. "There are a lot of traditional makers, particularly in this area. We generally do clean-lined work, perhaps Modern movement type influence, we don’t get into mouldings much or carvings. I have been accused of having architectural furniture, which is probably fairly accurate.�

Rewarding

When asked whether he would recommend this career to others, Paul responds; "Financially no. If your first thought is making a living this is probably not the best way to do it and most people engaged in this kind of thing are doing it out of a love of the work.�

Jane Burnley at work

Richard and Paul are not alone. If you go up to the showroom above the workshop and open a curtain, you will find Richard's wife, Jane in her art studio!

She trained as a graphic designer and has been painting, part-time for about nine years. Working near the workshop has its pros and cons; "“I generally paint on wood which is very handy as I have it all free and it’s just a space where I can come and there’s no telephone and I can just get on with it. But I have to put up with the cold!�