Talented woodworker Daisy Lula Brunsdon showcases her work alongside some of Britain’s most established furniture makers with pieces that IKEA cannot compete with.
She and boyfriend Andrew Joye have been invited to exhibit their pieces at Derwent House, an interiors shop in Witney.
Their work will be part of the buying showcase ‘Table Manners’, which offers a ‘fascinating and unique opportunity’ to see a diverse range of tables designs and styles under one roof.
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Ms Brunsdon said: "What they are doing is brilliant. The way that they are bringing young furniture makers together with furniture makers that have been in the industry for a lot longer is fantastic.”
The couple have a workshop in Long Wittenham, near Didcot, where they collaborate on private commission-based work.
Their bespoke pieces do not come cheap and cannot be compared to IKEA’s. They are pieces that, according to Ms Brunsdon, ‘will last a life time’.
She said: “Ikea absolutely plays a necessary role. But I don't really see [it] as a competition.
“We offer something quite different. We offer bespoke products which meets the clients’ needs. They get an experience and can get involved in every stage. The end product is made out of solid wood, and hopefully it is something that will last a lifetime."
At the showcase event, the Oxfordshire makers will benefit from having the opportunity to gain greater exposure to potential customers in a retail store environment.
Made in oak, Lula James’s Long Wittenham design is inspired by a desire to examine the table frame structure and come up with a design solution to eliminate obstacles, create leg room and promote sociability.
Ms Brunsdon explained that prices on pieces like this vary a lot, time and difficulty is taken into consideration.
“The table at Derwent House costs over £3,000, but, prices vary a lot. Something like a chair is very complicated. It sounds simple, but it is not. They are very difficult, challenging and time consuming. But at the end, it is an investment; a piece that hopefully lasts for ever.”
Last year, the young woodworker was the star of the TV series Saved and Remade, where she and fellow crafters gave new life to people's beloved but unused objects.
The 26 year-old who studied at Rycotewood Furniture Centre at the age of 20, alongside Mr Joye, hopes that her pieces can inspire more young people to try something new, like furniture making.
"I think people often picture an old man in a shed when they think about a woodworker. I hope more young people do get into it and start making more things like this” added Ms Brunsdon.
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