Could you tell us a little bit more about yourself and what made you start the business? 

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My name is Helen and I work in the medical supply industry by day, and turn wood by night, weekend, evening, morning and all the spare time in between. Any free moment I have, I have huddled away in my shed creating new minimalist homeware. I began turning a mere 9 months ago as I have always been fascinated by the natural beauty of wood, and had the opportunity to use a relative's workshop on a trip to France since then I have set up my own workshop and continue to turn at home.

 

I am always learning and experimenting with shapes and forms which I would have in my own home, in the hopes that others will love my minimalist, quirky style. I have always been creative, as working in a commercial setting I feel having a creative outlet is super important to a happy life. And I have never been more relaxed than when turning wood. 

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I would love to tell you that the story behind opening my shop is wonderfully romantic and magical but, to be frank, it was out of sheer necessity. Mine and my Daughters home have since become overrun with all the homeware I have made. We have shelves and shelves of bowls, vases, candlesticks and chopping boards.

 

Being so new to this I really wasn’t sure if it was a wise decision to start selling so early, but all of my friends and family assured me that I should be selling all my lovely bits and bobs, and of course, they were right. Since I launched two weeks ago the shop has done so well, and my work has been so well received by everybody who has discovered ‘Made in the Woodshed’.

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What inspires your work? 

 

Inspiration for me comes from everyday life and trial and error. I have always been drawn to the fluid lines of Scandinavian and Japanese design and believe that homeware should serve a utilitarian purpose as well as being utterly beautiful. William Morris summed this up perfectly by saying: “Have nothing in your houses that you do not know to be useful, or believe to be beautiful.” – And by extension being environmentally sound should now apply to this.

It’s always worth mentioning that the best designs are sometimes accidents. Sometimes I head out to the woodshed knowing exactly what I want to create, which then ends up becoming something completely different and beautiful. And other times I head out not knowing where a day of turning is going to lead me. I prefer to be open-minded and spontaneous in my design approach. 

 

What is the most important thing for you in your business?

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Quite simply, the pleasure of turning wood. ​​

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Based In: Cheshire, England, United Kingdom

Product Range: Contemporary handmade wooden homeware.  

Website: madeinthewoodshed.com

Instagram: @madeinthewoodshed

Images: Lucy at mykindlifestyle.com