WoodEdit is a new furniture brand from creative couple Paul and Maria Le Mesurier. The premise is simple: they design and hand-craft elegant wooden furniture that is made to last. The core collection includes a selection of timeless furniture pieces and wooden accessories that enable adaptable, natural, clutter-free living.
The collection comprises of a pared-back kitchen island, every conceivable type of table (bedside, console, kitchen, side, coffee), benches, stools, a desk, peg rails, and hard-working wooden accessories including a boot jack, serving boards, and cane-lined radiator covers. Each of the designs is available in three types of sustainably sourced wood: Oak, Ash, or Walnut.
Maria and Paul live with their five children in a converted stable building at Uppark, a 17th-century National Trust property in West Sussex. “It’s a very busy home with the seven of us here,” says Maria, who is responsible for designing the range. “WoodEdit designs always start with an idea I have when I’m running in the woods,” she explains. “It’s the only time of the day that I have absolute peace, and being in the forest is so inspirational for me.”
The design process is as streamlined as the final product: “In the forest, ideas flow, and I experience the deep desire of wanting to turn the trees into something that does them some kind of justice,” Maria explains. She produces the initial sketches, and the pair refines the proportions before Paul produces a prototype in his workshop. “It can be a bit of a battle,” Maria concedes. “Paul is incredibly practical and I am not, so sometimes the piece I am picturing isn’t exactly possible. We might have a few heated discussions before agreeing to meet in the middle.”
Once Paul has crafted a prototype, the couple live with the design in their home for a few weeks to see if it works. “I will move it around from room to room, trying each piece in different spaces and situations,” says Maria. “Each product certainly gets a fantastic road test! Once we are happy with the final design, we will make it in three woods that each have their own special qualities, which is an important factor for me,” she continues. “The Walnut tree is a symbol of intelligence, wisdom, and knowledge. Oak is a symbol of strength, and Ash is associated with energy and creative expression.”
The collection represents a long-held dream for Paul, who worked as an osteopath before embarking on a second career as a furniture maker. “I derive immense satisfaction from the making process, and, in many respects, the journey from osteopathy to furniture making seems a natural progression,” he says. Each piece of furniture is made to order, by hand in Paul’s workshop.
Once Covid restrictions are lifted in the UK, the couple plan to use their own home as a showroom for the collection: “The walls are chalky white throughout, the floors are terracotta, and there’s lots of jute, wicker, linen, stone and wood—everything is natural.” It’s the perfect backdrop to this clear, concise collection.
For more handmade furniture, see:
Base 10: An LA Furniture Maker Influenced by Japanese Tradition
The Next Nakashima? German Furniture Maker Fabian Fischer
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