Steam Bent Oak Chandelier

The original Steam Bent Oak Chandelier was designed and made while studying at the Chippendale School of Furniture in East Lothian, Scotland. Created to sit pride of place in a stairwell in Barrowby, Lincolnshire, it began as an opportunity to test my skills and explore a range of new techniques.

The individual oak pendants combine steam bending and lamination, with each one built up from layers of veneer. The veneers were fumed at three different intensities before being laminated together, creating three staggered phases of colour through each curved form and adding depth and contrast to the natural oak.

The chandelier also brought together several different areas of furniture making, from developing the steam-bent forms and laminated construction to hand turning the solid oak roundel from which the chandelier is suspended. The finished piece became as much an exercise in learning and experimentation as it was a finished piece.

Since the original was made, the design has received national attention, appearing in both The Times and The Guardian. Further chandeliers have since been commissioned for homes in Scotland and England, and as far afield as the South of France.