Designing bespoke church furniture for modern communities

Altar bespoke church furniture

Over many years, we have worked on commissions and designs for bespoke church furniture establishing a strong reputation in this area. Our focus is always to understand the building’s character before getting underway on any project.

After all, places of worship often have a rich heritage, specialist architectural features and are used by the whole community for different reasons. They usually have a variety of purposes including private prayer, worship, meetings, concerts and assemblies.

When it comes to commissions for church or cathedral interiors, we spend a lot of time focusing on the setting to ensure our designs complement the building, usage and reflect the values of a religious space. Churches and cathedrals must meet the challenges of using their space to serve 21st century communities and we can help them achieve that without losing sight of their solemn purpose and unique setting.

Working together

We understand that creating bespoke church furniture involves working with different people and organisations and pride ourselves on establishing good relationships. Here at Dovetailors, we have experience working with church architects and all levels of the clergy, congregations and heritage bodies on a variety of ecclesiastical furniture projects. This collaboration process helps us to achieve the right design to suit the fabric of the building.

Our projects

We have worked on a range of different bespoke church furniture projects for Wakefield Cathedral, Sheffield Cathedral and Mirfield Monastery to name but a few. Our work has included designing and crafting altars, chairs, choir stalls, credence tables, ambos, ceremonial tables, Paschal candle stands, organ casings, display cases and vestry wardrobes.

We have recently completed a project to design four refectory style oak tables for the crypt at Wakefield Cathedral as part of their continuous efforts to make more areas of their beautiful space available to the public. The tables are used in the kitchen area for meetings and gatherings. They have been carefully designed to be substantial yet easy to move including carved inscriptions into the side of the table and the Wakefield cross. (link to case study)

Our team

With highly skilled master craftsmen trained in traditional wood working techniques and the latest technology, everyone in our team is committed to success in this specialist field. Once an enquiry is received, we meet in person to develop initial designs and demonstrate examples of past work. The next step involves drawing up designs for approval including any specific changes. Once the designs are agreed upon and signed off, the furniture is created in our Yorkshire workshop. Site surveys are often necessary as ecclesiastical pieces are made to measure and to fit the space precisely.

Every step of the way, we work with our partners to ensure the design and craftsmanship reflects the architectural history and modern-day usage of the space. Each commission is designed and handcrafted with sensitivity towards the character of the building and our attention to detail is just one of the reasons why we are recognised as a specialist bespoke church furniture maker.