Dylan Pym

Dylan designs and hand crafts furniture in solid local English hardwoods.East Anglia has some of the best hardwoods in the world with a wealth of variation in colour and grain. All our wood is felled and cut locally from sustainable sources. It is of superior quality and is treated with respect right from the tree trunk to the finished piece of furniture. The wood is nurtured to create furniture of timeless character.

The timber is seasoned adjacent to the workshop, which is part of a small-holding farmed on organic and conservation principles. We plant over 200 trees here annually, some to be developed for timber and others for fruit and nuts, although most are just left to grow naturally.

Dylan's passion is in steam bending - he finds this process fascinating.He visits the tree in sitsu before it's felled, to see where the stresses are, and so ascertain which parts would be suitable for this treatment.

Steam bending is the main process involved in Dylan's current designs. Traditionally used in making chairs, he has developed and perfected this process to allow him to steam bend whole planks of wood, and so join them together.

The steam bending process involves heating the timber to a high temperature and then bending it round a shaped former as quickly as possible. It is important to use the best part of the tree to avoid warping and splitting the wood. The bent piece of timber is then braced and allowed to dry out in the barn for a few months, before being made into the finished piece. It is only possible to use hand tools once the wood has been steamed, making it a more organic, hands on and enjoyable process. (Modern day furniture is designed and built around machines, which limits the use of traditional skills)

Much of Dylan's inspiration comes from the natural flow of the countryside around Polstead, where he has spent most of his life. In creating the impression of movement in his furniture, Dylan has been influenced by Gaudi, not so much the ornateness of Gaudi's work, more its flow and movement.

Dylan welcomes customer visits and their involvement in the choice of timbers, as well as input at all stages of design. The finished piece of furniture is discreetly carved with the customer's name and the tree's village of origin.