Wood-turning, an old craft
Words: Tous Mag editor | Image Credits: © Selwyn House |
Tous Mag spoke with Sean Best and Ellie Smalls from Selwyn House - serveware and homeware makers from Derbyshire - to discover how they got to where they are today, making honest and functional pieces to be enjoyed from everyday meals through to big family get-togethers. Read the full interview below.
Tous Mag: How did Selwyn House form?
Selwyn House: We (Sean Best + Ellie Smalls) first met studying Fine Art at Leeds Arts University. We actually began Selwyn House after our move to Derbyshire in 2017. Sean, who’s always been fascinated in machinery and making, had bought himself a second-hand lathe and began to teach himself wood-turning. It soon became an obsession!
Tous Mag: How would you describe the pieces that you make?
Selwyn House: We love food - cooking and eating with friends and family. We have always aimed to create pieces which become part of your table, whether that’s special occasions or used every day. It’s important for us that our products are fit for purpose and that they have longevity - we imagine a well-used board or bowl being passed down the generations! We found a lot of wooden tableware to be quite traditional in design; gnarly, robust and ‘rustic’. It’s just not really our style. I think our Fine Art training helps us look objectively at shapes and forms and simplify them without losing that element of handmade.
Tous Mag: What inspires you to create, and do you experience any setbacks?
Selwyn House: We often take inspiration from wheel-thrown pottery, which we love, as it’s a similar process and the shapes and forms you can create on a wheel can often be replicated on the lathe. There’s a tactile warmth to ceramics and a simplicity of form - all whilst keeping functionality at the forefront of design. We do have limitations using wood though - for example the thickness of timber we can get our hands on (wood typically takes 1 year per inch to air dry!) or any knots and cracks you need to work around - so often the wood itself will inform what you’re able to make!
Tous Mag: Does sustainability play a role at Selwyn House?
Selwyn House: We exclusively use British-grown timber for all our pieces. We have fantastic woodland and trees here, and in buying wood from small independent sawmills we’re helping to preserve the knowledge of managing woodland and utilising the resources we have. There’s no fast, mass-production in what we do, nor would we want there to be - we value the time it takes a tree to grow and dry, so we want to make sure we’re making the most of every piece of timber, as well as ensuring our products are designed to last a lifetime - if not more! We’re working towards all our finishes being plant-based, with no petroleum derived ingredients.
Tous Mag: Is wood-turning being given a new lease of life?
Selwyn House: Wood-turning is a really old craft, one which was on the endangered list until a few years ago. I think there’s a misconception of turning being an old man’s ‘shed hobby’, there’s certainly some very thick and shiny bowls out there! But there’s also plenty of wood-turners who are making beautiful, sculptural work and rediscovering elemental processes like ebonising and scorching. It’s a really interesting time to be a wood-turner and I think we’re definitely starting to see a renewed appreciation in craft of all forms.
