The Artichoke School of Furniture was founded in 2019 as a series of free evening courses for local school children.
The principle aim of our school is simple – to inspire young people who, through their experience of a narrowing and academically focused curriculum, may not have had the opportunity to explore their creative and practical potential.
Our ambition is to highlight to these youngsters that there are a wide range of artisan skills and crafts which are highly valued and appreciated and from which a successful career can be carved.
Following the course, we are happy to support those who are interested in developing skills further. With our experience and connections we can help point them in the right direction, whether it be working as an apprentice in our own workshops or helping them apply for a scholarship through the Queen Elizabeth Scholarship Trust. The foundation of the Artichoke School of Furniture also goes a small way to help us deliver our own company vision, which is that in 100 years, English design and craftsmanship continues to flourish; creating interiors celebrated by future generations. Bruce Hodgson sits on the advisory board of the Building Crafts College – a specialist stone masonry, construction and carpentry college situated in London. Founded by the Worshipful Company of Carpenters in 1893, the Building Crafts College has a long tradition of delivering high quality education training in building crafts and building conservation. Bruce’s links with this highly regarded college provide a natural follow on from the Artichoke School of Furniture.
It takes a great deal of skill to create interiors that will be admired in hundreds of years.
The reason antiques exist today is because they were made properly years ago, by skilled craftsmen who took care.
They took the same care then as we do today when making our clients’ interiors, which is why our work will last centuries and why it is guaranteed for life.
For many, along with the great privilege of owning a fine period house, comes a feeling of responsibility. Many owners, as custodians of the property, take great care to devote appropriate attention to preserve the work of previous generations and to ensure that future generations will admire any renovations or additions. Our clients are prepared to invest in the highest quality materials and the finest craftsmanship in order to do their home justice. Our commitment to training artisans of the future is part of our contribution. For those who relish the idea of passing a building down to the next generation in a better state than it was found as being one of life’s greatest achievements, we can help. And it’s quite possible that one of Artichoke’s School of Furniture graduates may well have a hand in the work.