ARTS + ENTERTAINMENT
KENT ARTIST PROFILE
SEAN EVELEGH
AN AWARD-WINNING FURNITURE DESIGNER AND MAKER BASED IN EYNSFORD, SEAN EVELEGH’ S LIFELONG LOVE OF WOODWORKING AND PASSION FOR INCOMPARABLE CRAFTSMANSHIP HAS RESULTED IN FURNITURE THAT IS BOTH TIMELESS AND UNIQUE. NOW JOINED BY HIS BROTHER DAN, THE TALENTED DUO TODAY EXPERTLY CREATE FINE BESPOKE FURNITURE FOR PRIVATE CLIENTS, INTERIOR DESIGNERS AND HOMEOWNERS ALL OVER THE COUNTRY. WHETHER A STATEMENT DINING TABLE OR STRIKING KITCHEN CENTERPIECE, SEAN AND DAN CREATE EXQUISITE FURNITURE THAT IS BUILT TO LAST A LIFETIME USING SOLID WOOD AND BEAUTIFUL VENEERS.
Sean, please tell us about your professional journey so far. I started woodworking around the age of 10. I was blessed to have an inspirational woodworking teacher at school and he encouraged me to pursue furniture making as a career. I secured a place at a furniture school, graduating with a degree in Furniture Design and Making. While at uni, I competed in a TV show called The Chop, which aired on Sky History; I won the show to be crowned Britain’ s top woodworker and that launched my professional career! I set up my studio based in Eynsford, near Sevenoaks, in 2020, and my brother Dan joined me in 2023. We make bespoke, freestanding fine furniture for private clients, interior designers and furniture shops around the UK, as well as selling pieces through our online shop. I was crowned Young Woodworker of the Year 2024 by Heritage Crafts, was named in the‘ 35 under 35’ awards by the King’ s Foundation, and our work has been exhibited at shows and galleries around London and Kent.
Can you tell us more about your bespoke crafting process, from inception to finished product? As all our work is handmade. We believe the best way to start the creative process is with a hand sketch. This sketch then goes through multiple iterations with the client until it is perfect. We will often visit the space, or request photos of where the piece is going to ensure the piece is in keeping with the room and feel of the house. Once we have the design finalised, we hand select the materials ensuring they are of the highest quality with the most beautiful grain. Plans, prototypes and tests are all carried out before the build starts to ensure ergonomics, function and beauty all align. We utilise traditional hand tools alongside the use of modern machinery to bring the piece to life and update the client throughout the process with photos. Once the build is complete, we apply a hardwearing finish to ensure protection while also making the grain pop and bringing the wood to life! We then deliver every piece ourselves.
Your pieces are beautifully artistic and sculptural, yet also functional for everyday living; how do you strike that balance? We try to design pieces of furniture that you can’ t find anywhere else and let the natural beauty of wood sing by choosing interesting species with unique grain. We then make the pieces to an extremely high quality, ensuring they are durable and will last for generations to come.
How do you perfect the blend between heritage craftsmanship and modern flair when combining traditional woodworking techniques with innovative design methods? We find certain elements of the piece are best kept traditional, like dovetail drawers which have been proven to last for centuries while also being beautiful and decorative.
Even though we make a lot of contemporary designs, there is a lot of traditional handwork involved. Within these pieces, I love incorporating traditional techniques like inlay and marquetry which add a touch of beauty and high level craftsmanship to the piece- two things we often find lacking in modern furniture.
Is there a project you are particularly proud of? Why? We are most proud of our Oxford console table. We love its light, airy and elegant design, and have found it can really refine a space like a hallway. It’ s cherished by our clients who have commissioned one, often adorning it with family photos and beautiful objects.
What’ s next? We are currently making the cabinetry for a long case clock. This was a special commission and it will be highly ornate and decorative, featuring marquetry, inlay, carving and moulding. Our next project is a coffee table with a Roman mosaic top made from 80,000 wooden tiles and an ebonised base that we hope to exhibit in London next year.
seanevelegh. com sean _ evelegh
28 • www. insidekent. co. uk