Tammy Crawford-Rolt
I am a designer/maker who handcrafts custom furniture, the Trio Collection and other bespoke projects for community spaces, independent organisations and individuals.
The wood I use for the Trio Collection and other small commissions is either reclaimed from other local carpenters, local timber merchants or from Bristol’s not-for-profit wood recycling project. Working with these eco-friendly materials, I design and create bespoke pieces.
My journey into the woodworking world
From a young age, I always enjoyed making things and being practical. I would invent designs, was fascinated by nature, particularly woodlands, and was always making things with bits and pieces. As a teenager I became particularly interested in architecture, landscape and interior design.
This led me to go and study Art, Design & the Environments; Spatial Design at Central Saint Martins in London. I was drawn to working on community, public and outdoor spaces. I would transform 2D drawings into 3D objects through play. I became obsessed with natural Scandinavian design and organic materials such as wood.
After graduating I got involved with community gardens, wildlife projects, The Remakery, and Architecture for Humanity. This is when I really began working with wood and started to make things using reclaimed timber. I had to be creative and resourceful with the materials and tools I could get hold of.
I moved to Bristol in 2015 and this is when I honed in on my passion and path to become a Designer/Maker using wood.
At the start I was designing & making less refined outdoor planters and seating schemes using reclaimed timber. I would use what I could find and predominantly just sand and cut before the making started. However as I developed my woodworking skill set, learning from the makers around me, freelance work and joinery workshops, I began to experiment more. I originally would have an idea and then begin making, however now there are many processes before I begin. From initial ideas, prototyping and jig making, carefully analysing and product strength testing and sanity checks. Only then do I begin machining the timber, joining and assembling, planing, chiselling, sanding and oiling.
I now have my own workshop on Gloucester Road with all the woodworking kit to keep me busy for years to come.
My Ethos
I strongly believe in supporting local resources, the quality and labour of love in handmade items. I feel that items should be long term investments, crafted and cared for with the intent to become antiques. I also believe in the ability of plants to enhance both the natural environment and our well-being, particularly in urban landscapes. My work brings vegetation inside, and supports people to flourish and grow outside.
Whenever designing and making something, I aim to be as responsible and sustainable as possible. By carefully selecting materials, reducing my waste, reusing and foraging things that would otherwise be scrapped, I try to make my work tread lightly on the planet.