Superior scaffolding
How to best utilise a small area – build up!
Conserving the way we see things at Kettle's Yard
Conserving the Edes' collection of antique chairs
Wonderful things happen when we open doors
The unexpected highlight was the children.
Study one | the peacock garden seat
The first in a series of studies of seminal works
Nature as Inspiration
Nature is the inspiration and motivation behind our latest lighting collaboration with fellow B Corp, COAT...
A moment in time for British timber
Native timber is in a fragile — though thankfully improving — position. The British Isles, once almost entirely forested, have been cleared and mismanaged over five millennia, largely in the...
You're hired
It’s National Apprenticeship Week and, although we don’t have an apprentice on the team this year, we’re incredibly proud of those who have come through our workshop. Apprenticeships can be...
What necessity is
Details we love that are born out of necessity: Oak pegs enhance joint strength, and can be drilled out to allow for disassembly if a component needs to be replaced,...
Everything lines up
Our eyes have evolved to be extremely sensitive to misalignment, which is why we say there’s nowhere to hide when making a simple, symmetrical piece of furniture. The more symmetrical...
Centuries in the making
The bluestone of this table top originated when the southern half of present-day Belgium was submerged under a shallow, tropical sea. The marine life you can see as small white...
Life & soul
Design predating the 20th century is never without an element of artistic expression. Whether it be the shape of a component or the thoughtfully chosen material, even the most basic...
Behind the scenes with Kinfolk
Kinfolk came behind the scenes to meet furniture-making apprentice Georgia, and her mentor Greg, to discuss what mentorship means to them.
A berry merry Christmas
This year, we’ve amped up the Christmas cheer, with no. 19 dressed to the nines. Joyous red berries nestle into Christmas tree branches and festoon fire surrounds. Offcuts of spruce...
Winter whites
One of the delights of having our own workshop is the ability to come up with ideas and realise them as a team. We love antique milk glass and wanted...
Tete a Tat
Charlie Porter of Tat fame interviewed Matthew recently. She certainly hit a rich seam. Thanks Charlie for your generous words and genius questions. Matthew loved answering them and we've all...
Inigo / A room of one's own
An evening of cheese and wine in the dining room at 19 St George’s Square, Stamford glowed through the lens of photographer Ollie Tomlinson for a recent feature with Inigo....
The wisdom of apprentices
Georgia joined us two years ago after a hard-fought campaign to get a job at Matthew Cox. If we didn’t know just how determined she was from her dogged pursuit...
In praise of Pugin
Original pieces are always a reference point when designing our collection pieces but while we continue to honour past masters before putting pencil to paper, we tend to use multiple...
The joys of lamplight
The Form Lamps have been coming together little by little for months, possibly years, if you consider the influence of the antique geometric forms that Matthew has bought and sold...
Burgeoning talent and craft
The Furniture Makers Company hosted another thoughtful showcase with their newly named New Furniture Makers exhibition, previously the Young Furniture Makers Exhibition. A reception room in the Furniture Maker's Hall...
Alive to the possibilities
Our living island is a table, well, a table for the middle of a room, at a good height for sitting or standing and working, which means it’s perfect for...
Coming out of the woodwork
The Carving Change seminar at Sylva Wood School took place on 10th October this year and was the kind of day that leaves you with a lot to think about...
The informed eye
Creative projects evolve over time, as insight and understanding open exciting new possibilities. @the_cold_press had a vision for our konami cabinet – to create one continuous surface, at over eight...
Pushing creative boundaries
Taking on fully bespoke work keeps our whole team on their toes, which, along with delighting our clients, is why we do it. It teaches us something new, and we...
Living freely
The living island invites life, is alive with practical design possibilities, and will live to serve new purposes over time. This is what we hope for all our pieces, and...
Enchanted by nature's materials
Our connection with the planet’s natural materials goes back to the beginning. We were working with stone two and a half million years ago, and making wooden implements four hundred...
Enticing the onlooker
The newlight mirror has been years in the making. Every time Matthew has bought and sold a shop or cafe mirror, he has taken a little something from each –...
In praise of finishers and finishing
A celebration of surfaces and those who create them. With Matthew's background as an antique dealer, it's no surprise that surface texture and patina are given as much care and...
Reassuring detail
Well-executed, honest design details delight many, and at the very least, reassure others. They represent trust and understanding, and so offer peace of mind. A wooden table top fixed, but...
Through a different lens
We’re excited to announce that Obsolete has launched a collection of Matthew Cox furniture and lighting in their LA showroom and online this week. Matthew and Obsolete's Ray Azoulay have...
Finding MindSpace
In a world where our mental health is challenged from all quarters, we're fortunate to live and work in a town where a model for proactive mental health support in...
A visit from Beatrice Searle
We were recently lucky to welcome the remarkable artist, letter cutter, and author Beatrice Searle to our workshop. You may know her from Stone Will Answer, her acclaimed memoir about...
The joy of learning (and teaching)!
Photography credit: National Saturday Club. Last month, we welcomed three groups from the National Saturday Club into our workshop, travelling from Boston, Sleaford and Chain Bridge Forge. Their exciting mission...
What it means to represent?
"Kids can't be what they can't see". Selena Bolingbroke - Principal of the Building Crafts College. On 8th May, we were lucky to attend and take part in the Inspiring...
Art as a stimulant
Last month, our team spent a fascinating afternoon at Kettle’s Yard in Cambridge. Despite the excitable spring outing energy, we soon drifted off into quiet corners, drawn to objects and...
To give is to receive
In recent years, the Matthew Cox team have formed a strong bond with Stamford-based charity, MindSpace. This extraordinary organisation provides a vital backbone of mental health support in the local...
Inspiring makers
We are delighted to be taking part in Inspiring Makers 2025, an event dedicated to building connections and shaping the future of craft. Hosted by Artichoke and The Furniture Makers'...
Materials matter
Let’s be real—most of our clients choose materials and finishes based on aesthetics, and why not? The finished look is of utmost importance. But material provides more than just surface...
Making space
For many, a furniture-making company brings to mind rough hands and gruff attitudes. But these days and certainly at Matthew Cox, tradition is only a foundation, not a way of...
Mastering metals
Long before we established our workshop, Matthew was an antique dealer with an eye for patina and surface. Whether it was the dry, bleached surface of a scrub-top kitchen table...
Comfort & joy
It's Christmas Eve and we've finally downed pencils and tools until January 2nd. The (saw)dust is settling on this year, and all that remains is to wish you comfort, joy...
Carving change
This week's journal is all about the women in our workshop. Today, a group of our team members shared stories with our whole company about the Sylva Foundation’s Carving Change...
A generous table
We're always slightly surprised that we’ve become known for making massive tables. In some ways, it shouldn’t be surprising in the least – after all, Matthew loves utility and scale....
The cycle starts again
For all the reasons we've reflected upon in our last three journals, we've been able to set-up our 100 year plan – a pledge to offer support for every item...
Conserving natural resources
Following on from part one, where we looked at the intimate connection we forge with our furniture, we now share our thoughts on how our basic choices effect positive change...
A reciprocal relationship
Our relationship with furniture and objects made in solid, natural materials is reciprocal and ongoing. How they feel is crucial to our experience of using them, and how we use...
Aesthetics & sustainability
As an antique dealer, you understand that styles come into fashion in cycles but you also learn that certain design attributes remain desirable (no matter what we’re told is ‘in’...
August round-up
While summer found its feet, our workshop kept running with batons passing expertly between team members took their turns to go surfing, hiking, dancing, running or gardening. We had four...
Shaping the future
We hate to say goodbye, but when someone resigns, we can’t help but be excited about their plans. After the resignation, there’s always a sense of the ecosystem shifting in...
Imagined legacies
Creating a legacy for our furniture is fundamental to our work. Imagining and shaping the future of our team is just as vital. After all, our people not only make...