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Kevin Gauld

  • Furniture maker
  • Orkney, United Kingdom
  • Master Artisan
Kevin Gauld Furniture maker
Contact
English
Hours:
Monday to Friday 09:00 - 17:00
Phone:
+44 1856871314
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Keeping Orkney's crafts alive

  • • Kevin sources Scottish hardwoods felled from sustainable woodlands
  • • He is inspired by the heritage and materials of the Orkney islands
  • • His work includes a version of the Orkney chair called the Brodgar Chair

An Orcadian through and through, Kevin Gauld was born, raised and educated on the Orkney islands (which lie about ten miles to the north of the Scottish mainland) and is passionate about their heritage, which is reflected in the furniture he chooses to make. He loved making things from wood even as a child and left school as soon as possible to embark on an apprenticeship. Since founding his workshop in 2007, his designs have found fans around the world for the way in which they reinterpret centuries-old designs, such as the iconic Orkney, straw-backed chairs, and he has been encouraged by the positive reaction to his work. “My craft has survived this long and there is still a great demand for it, so I feel it is in safe hands for the future.”

Read the full interview

Works

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Bairn’s chair

This child-size chair with a hand-woven seagrass seat and a minimal hand-stitched straw back was designed and made by Kevin in 2018. All the materials were sourced locally. His work combines traditional techniques with contemporary innovative designs, such as the pattern of the straw backrest.

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Gent’s chair with drawer

Kevin designed and crafted this traditional Orkney chair with a handwoven seagrass seat and handstitched oat straw back. His work combines traditional techniques with contemporary innovative designs. All the materials were sourced as locally as possible, complying with Kevin’s environmental philosophy.

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Gent’s fan back chair

Kevin based the design on one of the earliest Orkney chairs, with a traditional fan back. The seat was handwoven with seagrass and the back handstitched with oat straw. His work combines traditional techniques with contemporary innovative designs. All the materials for the chair were sourced as locally as possible, in accordance with Kevin’s environmental philosophy.

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Lady’s chair (Fair Isle style) with rockers

This rocking chair was modelled on traditional Fair Isle chairs with two drawers beneath the seat. The back was hand-stitched with oat straw and the seat handwoven with seagrass. Kevin’s work combines traditional techniques with contemporary innovative designs. All the materials were sourced as locally as possible, complying with Kevin’s environmental philosophy.

Photo: © All rights reserved
Lady’s chair with hood and two side drawers

Traditionally, the hood of an Orkney chair was added to provide shelter from draughts and to stop drips from the roof of the croft house from falling onto the occupant’s head. The two side drawers were commonly associated with women’s chairs. The seat was handwoven in seagrass and the back handstitched with oat straw.

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