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...
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...
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...
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...
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...
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...
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...
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...
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’...
Show not tell
Our sleek, new website is a source of great pride, but one thing’s been missing… our precious archive of sold antiques was lost in the move! Each lantern, tack cabinet,...
The turn of the socle
Originally conceived as a commission from a much-respected client, the socle table has come to encapsulate our intentions as both furniture makers and as a company. The socle table provides...
In pursuit of poetry
We embrace myriad techniques and approaches in our workshop. Yet we all agree that elegantly simple, perfectly functional, and attentively detailed designs are the most physically and aesthetically enduring. When...
Bright & beautiful
The nights are long, the days are short, so beautiful lights are of great import! These lanterns, sconces, pendants, and wall lights have all been plucked from obscurity, and sensitively...
Deceptive detail
Our Artist’s chair… always the prized perch at 19 St George’s Square. Other chairs come and go but this one's always here to stay. It’s the casual clotheshorse for towels...
A perfect pickle
The universe has certainly thrown down a few challenges lately, and for the McLean family, a fire in early 2019 threatened to leave them without a home or business. In...
Ways of seeing
This week, The New Craftsmen launches another edit in its ‘Ways of Seeing’ series. The series explores different ways the maker and interior designer view and value craft – and...
Matthew Cox talks craft at the Royal Academy
Last week Matthew took to the stage (or sofa to be precise!) for a panel discussion at the Royal Academy among such the esteemed company of The New Craftsmen’s Yelena...
Legacy Lounge for Harding & Read
As an antique dealer, Matthew Cox has learnt what makes a piece of furniture stand the test of time. Now he is designing furniture he distils this knowledge into every...
A table for all seasons
As the tables in our contemporary collection are all completely made to measure, we are able to create your perfect piece. We hope it will be a table that will...
Matthew Cox designs for The New Craftsmen
Ever since The New Craftsmen threw open their doors in 2012, we've looked on in admiration at how they've lifted up makers from across the British Isles, imaginatively showcasing new...
Made to entertain
Working with a long-time collaborator of ours, Gina Brennan, we created two bespoke pieces of furniture for a contemporary project in Notting Hill. The scheme was cleverly designed to complement...
The Living Island
Inspired by the preparation tables of the Old Kitchen at Burghley House, the Living Island is very much a moveable feast – the free-standing piece can be fully customised to...
The Pyramid table
We're excited to introduce the latest addition – the Pyramid table – to Matthew's collection of made to measure furniture, inspired by examples of pared-back design from 18th-20th century England....
Beautiful new finish library
The complete library is now live within the new made to measure pages on our site with finishes spanning timber, metal and stone. We’ve drawn on our extensive and well-documented...
Out with the old, in with the old
Being able to live with beautiful things is a real perk of being an antique dealer and another is being able to update and edit your own home without too...
Future Heritage at Decorex 2015
British designer-makers steal the show at Decorex I was nervous to head for the Future Heritage stand at this year’s Decorex fearing I’d be horribly disappointed after loving it so...
Bump and spark
Our latest antique finds are bumping and sparking in our new shoot We've just spent a week throwing up the walls, laying down the floors and arranging our latest collection...
Winter Blues
Winter blues are the guiding stars in a grown up new scheme I've always used blues, generally the ones at the calmer end of the spectrum - the pale green-blues...
The changing face of Decorex
Storytelling brings back the love at Decorex 2014 As an antique dealer, when I first went to Decorex seven or eight years ago I left feeling pretty soul-destroyed and equally...
RIGHT HERE, RIGHT NOW
IT’S BEEN A YEAR IN THE MAKING BUT HERE, IN ALL ITS GLORY, IS OUR BEAUTIFUL NEW WEBSITE. IT HAS TRULY BEEN A LABOUR OF LOVE. We’ve looked for inspiration...