Trew & Bold designs and makes bespoke and made-to-order furniture in British hardwoods, from a workshop between Bristol and Bath. Every piece is made by me, Emily.

The name comes from the Old English for “tree” and “build”, and I do both. I buy from South West sawmills and travel the country for rarer boards, often spalted or pippy. Sometimes a board leads the design; sometimes a design needs something special, and I find it. Then I build, with precision machinery or hand tools, whichever suits each joint. Every piece is finished in natural oils, to be used daily and passed down.

I trained in figure sculpture in Florence, then worked in furniture restoration. Restoration taught me which joinery lasts; sculpture shapes my sense of proportion and form.

The two meet in my sofas. I make the oak frames and a specialist upholsters them, but the bronze bolts joining the frames are my own sycamore-inspired design, sculpted because I couldn’t find hardware I loved, all cast in North Somerset.

Commissions are designed around your room and the furniture already in it, and I work with you throughout. The made-to-order collection, from tables to sofas, comes in your choice of timber and fabric.

To start a commission or ask about the collection, send me a message here. You can see more of my work at trewandbold.com.