Your work seems to combine the Arts and Crafts ethos with Edward Barnsley’s impeccable craftsmanship. Are you very conscious of the past in your work, or is it a natural evolution?

Very aware! The heritage laden history is a lot to live up to. The key point for me is the journey, Edwards early work was very much grounded in his fathers and Gimson’s design styles but over his lifetime his recognisable design style evolved to become uniquely Edward Barnsley. I hope that my work continues this process of contemporary evolution responding to changes in the way people live, the materials and techniques available and the learning from 100 years of furniture making.

The workshop always seems to have kept to the idea of ‘designer as maker’, how important is that ethos at Barnsley?

It is fundamental to our approach, we believe in learning how to make furniture really well as a first step. It is important with the type of one off work we do that the designer is intimately acquainted with the material and construction methods/ process. The designer maker principal either makes himself or more typically oversees other makers to increase the overall output of the workshop. This also has the added benefit of allowing other makers the experience of working with a designer maker.

Tom Dixon for Themes & Variations