Introducing Two New Pieces to the Cleft Collection
The Cleft chest of drawers is rich in texture and material expression. A tableau of chestnut shakes, harvested from our own woodland, cleft and individually coloured by hand, cover three drawer fronts. This unique composition is framed within a handsomely dovetailed solid oak carcass. We use colour derived from linseed oils, allowing the natural grain to remain visible, a subtle, tonal finish that celebrates the integrity of the wood.
The fronts of these pieces are made from cleft pieces of chestnut, individual panels known as shakes. Each shake is made by skilfully splitting wood along its natural grain, an age-old technique traditionally used in rural crafts such as fencing and gate-making.
It is a time-honoured and demanding technique that preserves the wood’s natural integrity. By splitting the timber along the grain rather than cutting through or across it, the wood retains its natural linear strength, resulting in a piece that is both enduring and richly expressive of its material origins.
The Cleft bedside table is rich in texture and craft. A tableau of chestnut shakes, harvested from our wild Kent woodland, cleft and individually coloured by hand, encompass the door. This unique composition is framed within a handsomely dovetailed solid oak carcass. The colours, derived from linseed oils, allow us to create each piece in delicate shades of blue and lilac, with the natural grain still visible, softening into a gently usable and tactile piece statement of furniture.
The fronts of these pieces are made from cleft pieces of chestnut, individual panels known as shakes. Each shake is made by skilfully splitting wood along its natural grain, an age-old technique traditionally used in rural crafts such as fencing and gate-making.
It’s an incredibly difficult and old technique, but one that preserves the integrity of the timber. By splitting rather than cutting through or across the grain, the wood retains its natural linear strength, resulting in a piece that is both durable and beautifully expressive of its material origins.
