We have talked before about how churches can adapt their interiors to create a purposeful community space that retains the character and heritage of the building. Here we look at some of the fascinating church furniture projects we have been involved in to show the possibilities that exist for transforming these very special places.
Altar & Ambo
This particular design was created for Wakefield Cathedral and we worked closely with a Yorkshire clockmaker to engineer special castors that would bear the weight of the finished altar and ambo and allow it to glide smoothly across the cathedral floor so that it can be moved easily to reorganise the space.
Choir stalls
These choir stalls were handcrafted in our workshop with burr wood detailing and hand carved lettering. We designed a bespoke set of trolleys so that the choir stalls can be moved easily to keep the space flexible for community use.
Ceremonial chairs
As skilled furniture designers and manufacturers, we are often called upon by architects and church project teams to make something very specific. When Sheffield Cathedral was expecting a visit from the Queen for the traditional Maundy Thursday service, we were invited to make a set of ceremonial chairs for the occasion. Of course, we made sure we incorporated some Sheffield steel into the design.
Vestry furniture
We thoroughly enjoyed designing a set of custom made vestry wardrobes for Wakefield Cathedral. We included lots of special features, such as cubby holes for the clergy to use for their personal belongings and a special external hanging rail for ceremonial garments just before use.
Baptismal fonts
One of the joys of working with churches is experiencing the passion and imagination of the project teams and congregations. This has such a wonderful influence on the design and the whole creative process becomes very collaborative. Two very noteworthy font projects were completed for Christ the King in Mirfield and Liverpool Parish Church. Both were particularly exciting because they gave us an opportunity to work with other artisans to create something very unique and personal to each community.
Paschal Candle
A Paschal candle plays an important role in Christian worship and we accepted the challenge to design and make a 2.5 metre high solid oak candle stand for Mirfield Monastery. The finished stand is breathtaking to see in situ and has the added benefit of having concealed castors and being formed of two separate parts for easy moving.
Custom Ecclesiastical Projects
We have highlighted just some of the many church projects we have been commissioned to make over the years. Other projects have included refectory tables and a custom designed display case. We work closely with church communities and architects to design, plan, make and deliver everything to their exact specification and we share our furniture making experience with them to make sure projects meet time and budget expectations.