C M Pretlove
Cabinet Maker
Some of my earliest and fondest memories are of time spent in my father’s workshop, he was a cabinet maker and woodturner with very nearly twenty years of experience behind him at the time of my birth. The sounds, the smells, the tools and the neat plies of machined components all contributed to the enchantment of that environment to a young boy such as myself. On some days the low, cold, winter sun would pick out the dust in the air as we sat round the wood burner to warm ourselves and eat our lunch, but whatever the season, it always felt homely there among the machines and the shavings. There was rarely a time when there wasn't something to keep me occupied, be it helping with the work or making something for myself, but those early experiences were teaching me an appreciation of the basics at a tender age. Such times remained a constant feature of both childhood and adolescence, through the necessity of both child care and earning extra pocket money, and these only came to a close with my move to university.
Employment
Greater understanding inflames both passion & curiosity.
Background
After graduating with a BA hons in philosophy, the workshop environment maintained it’s draw and a number of factory jobs, often machining large quantities of precision components, were to follow. This continued until I found someone willing to employ me to make bespoke furniture. Since that time in 1998, working for a variety of businesses, each providing the opportunity to gain a wealth of experience from fellow craftsmen and designers, my output has been exclusively unique, one off items. The destinations for these products has ranged from luxury yachts to Georgian town houses and from stately homes to avant-garde new builds. The variety of styles required to work in was broad, and through the years an understanding of design developed as a greater appreciation was gained of the importance of detail, context and proportion. The academic concepts of design philosophy acquired at university came together with the practical experience of construction and manufacturing methods and taught the importance of remaining open minded in seeking solutions to design briefs. By 2012 I was yearning for a workshop of my own, to put what had learnt into practice and secure commissions.
In March of 2013 the process of setting up a suitable workshop began and after a short spell at an interim premises the move to a new space at The Old Tannery on Lower Keyford in Frome was made to coincide with the delivery of state of the art machinery in December of the same year. This new premises, though still a work in progress, in combination with the investment in new equipment now provides a facility suitable for the production of high quality bespoke furniture.