Paul Islip

Holywell, Flintshire

Furniture Designer

Paul’s career began with a Masters Degree in Furniture Design before setting up a workshop making bespoke pieces. This led to further opportunities to work for larger scale businesses, designing and manufacturing upholstery and cabinet product ranges for the main UK furniture retailers such as Marks and Spencer, John Lewis, Next and key independent stores.

“My underlying ambition, however, was to eventually return to artisan design and my attendance at a creative green woodworking course in 2018 ignited my desire to make this happen.”

Based in beautiful North Wales with an abundant supply of sustainable and natural raw materials, each piece is crafted by hand using techniques such as steam-bending, green woodworking and decoupage. Favouring ash, oak and chestnut, Paul sources his timber from managed woodlands local to his workshop.

“My passion is to design and make unique desirable home furnishing products made from locally sourced materials and using traditional woodworking skills, combined with modern techniques.”