The Selwood Collection by Bill Amberg Studio

The New Craftsmen is delighted to introduce the Selwood Chair and Side Table to its collection of unique pieces rooted in craftsmanship and narrative. Designed by Bill Amberg, one of the most respected names in contemporary British leathercraft and founder of his eponymous studio, the Selwood Collection is made using douglas fir felled from the forest local to him in Somerset.

The deeply historic landscape of the Selwood Forest is steeped in legend, with only a few areas of the ancient woodland now surviving in comparison to once stretching east to west, from Warminster to Bruton, and north to south, from Frome to Shaftesbury. The collection is a dedication to the ancient forest and designed to stand the test of time, traversing generations and becoming part of the rich, venerable saga of the woodland. “I‘m interested in the lifespan, repairability and durability of a product. It’s important that we make things that will have a very long life and can be easily repaired if needed,” Bill noted.

The chair and side table are the product of collaboration between Bill and a local craftsman based just outside of Bruton, Somerset.Their first encounter quickly revealed their shared respect of and passion for their local woodlands and inspired Bill’s thoughts about timber:

“Our conversations made me think about the use of timber, utilising every part that you possibly can and not overly working it. If you try to control it, you waste an enormous percentage of the actual tree.”

The design process started with the chair’s structure and Bill’s idea of a very simple, sculptural shape crafted from local douglas fir yet with minimal intervention.The result is an elemental yet exquisitely constructed piece of furniture with a nod to Japanese joinery and architecture. With no visible fixings, the pieces are beautifully made, cleverly made, simply made, with poetic robustness.

For the seat, Bill developed a leather pad using an entirely natural fill made from organic coir and wool, to give a feeling of balance and support that foam doesn’t provide. He opted for thick saddle flank leather which has been drummed to both soften it and raise its natural grain. He reflected that the leather’s texture sits very well alongside the douglas fir grain, with the two complementing each other.

Raised in Northampton – the centre of the British shoemaking industry – Bill’s creativity found a natural partner in leather. At a young age, his interest grew into a fascination with the versatility, endurance, and beauty of the material which, combined with its status as a by-product of the food industry that would be discarded if not repurposed for use. Today, his studio has a mission to explore the aesthetic and material possibilities of leather, while also proudly holding their practices and those of their partner tanneries and suppliers to the industry’s highest ethical and sustainability standards.

The New Craftsmen are delighted to welcome Bill Amberg as a maker, a name that stands as a badge of quality and craftsmanship around the world. Catherine Lock, Creative Director at The New Craftsmen adds: “Bill is a master craftsman who has truly led the way with his innovation and deep knowledge of leather. The pieces created for The New Craftsmen are a culmination of Bill’s experience, expertise and exacting eye. It’s been wonderful being a part of the process, seeing materiality through Bill’s lens and the coming together of two materials in such an honest yet refined way.”

Explore the exceptional Selwood Collection by Bill Amberg Studio below or book an appointment to view it in person at our Mayfair showroom.

Photos: David Cleveland.