aln furniture

Contemporary Fine furniture Maker/Designer based in Edinburgh www.alnfurniture.co.uk She has an eye for observing how people interact with everyday objects.

Anna creatively designs and makes fine furniture to highest standards of craftmanship through commission, using modern and traditional cabinet making techniques. Anna designs furniture that is inspired aesthetically from the surrounding Natural world, the beauty of wood and Architectural structural world we live in. Anna's 10 years experience as a designer in Architectural industry allows her to understand the clients needs from a functional perspective.

21/10/2024

A NEW unique opportunity to make your own Shaker small back chair has just gone up on my website. Obviously with a little helping hand from myself during the six days.

Bonus is you also can make your own mug and learn how to weave your own chair seat with hemp webbing

😮 🤩

2025 course drop 😂 six day woodturning and furniture making course

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Winter course
6th - 11th January

Spring course
28th April - 3rd May

Summer course
28th July - 2nd August

Autumn course
6th October - 11th October
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Can’t wait to teach the NEW class

https://www.alnfurniture.co.uk/courses

More about how you can buy these chairs (if you don’t want to make your own) Coming soon…

The weather was calmer today and I got a chance to get photos of Arthur’s seat with blue sky in October. Plus a photo of my mug which was very popular at Peebles woodmarket over the weekend

You can order a mug for £40 just give us a quick email plus delivery charge

[email protected]

18/10/2024

It must be Autumn as I’m at Peebles woodmarket this weekend 🍂

10am till 4pm on Saturday & Sunday

https://www.peebleswoodmarket.co.uk

12/10/2024

A new edition to my workspace is a cabinet full of Anna’s wooden gifts on display

If you live in Edinburgh and need a last minute gift. Get in touch 😄 Someone birthday you’ve forgotten or your fifth wedding anniversary which is wood 😜

I started making these products for my family. I ran out of gifts to give them, so decided to sell them to you

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11/10/2024

Coming soon…

Peebles woodmarket is back next weekend

19th-20th October ~ 10am till 4pm

I will have a selection of Anna’s wooden gifts and a few pieces of alnfurniture for sale.

Feel free to come and discuss commissions with me as well

https://www.peebleswoodmarket.co.uk

27/09/2024

aln furniture

New shaker chairs ~ A high and low back design ~ More info to come regarding the new chairs but here is a first glimpse 🧐🤩

They will be on show tomorrow 10am till 4pm

27/09/2024

New & old aln furniture designs on show tomorrow at Edinburgh Open Workshop 10am till 4pm ~ A collaboration with fellow resident members ~ Design exhibition

20/09/2024

Next Saturday 28th September Edinburgh Open Workshop will be having an open day for tours which will include a design exhibition of resident members.

You’ll be able to see some of my latest work at the exhibition ~ 10am till 4pm ~ Hoping to have one of my new chairs finished by then 😂😂

I’ll be in the workshop teaching wood turning on the day. Say hello 👋🏻 when you take a tour.

As part of they will have a couple of workshops that people can participate in. To book on them check out their website

https://www.edinburghopenworkshop.co.uk/news/2024/08/19/doors-open-day-2024/

13/09/2024

A NEW design at alnfurniture made to order

Reaching new heights with a double step

Made in Cherry with a white tinted oil

If you are interested in ordering a double step Get in touch via [email protected]

Alternatively, you can make your own step on one of my courses in October at Edinburgh Open Workshop

https://www.edinburghopenworkshop.co.uk/product/build-a-double-step-stool-october-2024/

11/09/2024

A couple more vases and a decorative cedar bowl on Folksy website

https://folksy.com/shops/alnfurniture

11/09/2024

Laminating up curves in an old fashioned way with a press and clamps

29/08/2024

Had to clamp this glue up to my bench. Which will mean I have to work right on the corner of my bench for the rest of the day 😂

18/08/2024

Having a weeks holiday 🙌 But before I do I thought I’d tell you about my woodworking classes info on their website or follow links below

Next available classes are an intro to fine woodworking, where you make a lovely stool for your home.

Alternatively, if you have the basics already I am running an intermediate lesson to make your own desk. Starting from design, selecting your timber and then making the final design

Both starting in September

I have been running these woodwork classes at Edinburgh open workshop for 3 years

Time has flown by and my students collectively have made 50 stools and 10 desks

https://www.edinburghopenworkshop.co.uk/product/intro-to-fine-woodworking-september-2024/

https://www.edinburghopenworkshop.co.uk/product/intermediate-fine-woodworking-september-2024/

06/08/2024

Latest vase to be hand turned on the lathe

Made in Cherry with a white tinted oil

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30/07/2024

Cutting through some more Cherry tree today from my stocks of

Beautiful grain 🤩

25/07/2024

Behind the scenes of new speculative work coming soon…

📸 snapshot of one piece on the lathe

22/07/2024

A mixture of Burr elm, Ash and cherry in a new door I’ve been making ~ a bit more sanding and then oiling to see the colours come through

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14/07/2024

aln courses

It has been quite the year for woodturning classes. Since January this year I’ve taught 40 novice & beginner wood turners

My two person family or friends class has been very popular

Now it’s time for a break through August

One date left to book in September and for those that have been patiently waiting to book a class. I have availability in October, November and December

Check out dates on my website

https://www.alnfurniture.co.uk/courses

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Our Story

alnfurniture is owned by Anna Nichols who has been working in the creative industry since 2002. Anna first moved to Scotland in 2010 to start her own bespoke furniture business in the Scottish Borders.

alnfurniture workshop moved to Leith in 2017 and is based at Edinburgh Open Workshop. EOW is a multi-arts hub, who champion and celebrate emerging talents and creative innovation, bringing a number of people across a wide range of disciplines and with a wide variety of skills and interests into close quarters.

How did Anna end up making furniture?

Anna’s love for working with wood started when she was 17 years’ old at school when she made her first piece of furniture, a rocking chair. The rocker included a steam bent back and hand turned spindles in Ash.

Although Anna was more interested in Sculpture in her final year at school, when she went to Berkshire College of Art to do her foundation year and then on to Northumbria University for her BA Hons Degree, she chose to focus on 3D Design & making. Anna then went on to specialise in furniture making/designing, one-off or batch production pieces for her final two years of University.

Professionally Anna spent 8 years as a designer/draughts person in the Architectural Industry designing commercial furniture/interiors and architectural steel work/stairs before returning to the bench making furniture for a living. Anna is fully CAD proficient in 2D and 3D modelling.

A cabinet maker and wood turner exploring the 'beauty of wood', clean lines, shape and form with an occasional hint of bold colour, her Furniture/small products are made mostly from hardwood. She frequently Collaborates with other artists. Designs are able to be produced incorporating metal, plastic, glass and composite materials.

To view more of her design work and experience visit www.alndesigns.co.uk or to view her furniture visit www.alnfurniture.co.uk

The Design:

Working from the customers brief Anna designs the piece to meet the needs of the customer within the constraints of furniture design. Anna can produce a computer aided 3D model to portray her ideas over to the customer.

The Making:

The design process doesn’t stop at the drawing process. The selection of wood is a very important part of the process. The starting point of making is sourcing hardwood from a local sawmill. Then selecting boards to match and complement each other.

The making process has to take into account that solid wood furniture moves seasonally and is affected by heat and moisture. A hot dry environment will cause wood to shrink, whilst a damp environment will cause it to swell.

In the workshop the hardwood will be processed more than once to allow for the wood moving. Modern and traditional cabinetry techniques are then used to produce the required design allowing for wood movement. These techniques will ensure that when the furniture is installed in your home the hardwood used will not react too dramatically to modern heated houses.