John Bunford trained to be a cabinet maker by taking on an apprenticeship with John Makepeace OBE at the Parnham Trust, the renowned centre of furniture design and wood school set up to push furniture making to the highest standards. He furthered his skills by working as a joiner, shop-fitter, wood machinist, carpenter before taking on the role of project manager for the building of the famous Hooke Park College of Timber Technology, built using structures entirely from small diameter trees from the surrounding woodlands. He also lectured at Weymouth College, before arriving at his lifetime ambition to set up his own cabinet making workshop in 1990.

Purposeful and well made, Bunford's own designs combine his skills in high quality woodwork with that of locally felled green wood working and steam bending, and using eco-friendly finishes, achieving the goal of sustainable furniture by 'Low carbon footprint', 'Low environmental impact', and ' Long product life cycle'.

Bunford's customers include private individuals all over the UK (with several commissions in the South of France), corporate clients such as Hooke Park, as well as making quality items to the specification of many other furniture designers. His designs include sideboards, wardrobes, fitted bedrooms, chests of drawers (including a gun cabinet), dining tables, benches, fitted and unfitted kitchens, joinery, and small batch produced items such as steam bent stools, mirrors and chopping boards.

His workshop, situated in the idyllic setting of a private stately home, is a stone's throw away from the woodland where most of his timber comes from. It is well equipped to include all major woodworking machinery, plus steam bending facilities and finishing with organic oils. Do contact him and visit.

"John runs an extremely competent and conscientious workshop that has never delivered below my expectations."
Roy Tam MDesRCA FRSA
designer lecturer










Steam Bent Stools
Nesting Side Tables and Stools in steam bent ash whole planks with wavy edges







Chopping Boards
Heartshaped chopping boards in solid ash finished in oil














Copyright John Bunford Furniture 2008
Updated 11 Feb 2009


www.johnbunford.co.uk