Our story

Dovetailors was born out of love for the design journey. This is our story.

Our Story

Dovetailors was born out of love for the design journey.

This is our story.

Dovetailors bespoke furniture

Small beginnings

Like any concept, ours started small. As a master cabinetmaker and designer, with a PhD in engineering, David is a natural problem solver and began making furniture commissions in his shed at home.

Meanwhile, Emmanuelle was working for a global export business, developing skills in sales, management, finance and governance, which are now invaluable in her role as Dovetailors MD.

Transforming imagination into reality

We opened our first workshop in the Yorkshire Dales in 2005, with a small gallery for local artists and makers. Nearby piano makers Cavendish pianos was our first wood component design and manufacturing customer.

We became known for our collaborative approach, working in partnership with our customers, taking their ideas – however unusual – and using our design expertise and furniture making skills to bring them to fruition. One of our most ambitious early projects was this Art Deco inspired wave kitchen, made using a carefully templated combination of ripple maple, oak and walnut.

View of contemporary bespoke kitchen

Small beginnings

Like any concept, ours started small. As a master cabinetmaker and designer, with a PhD in engineering, David is a natural problem solver and began making furniture commissions in his shed at home.

Meanwhile, Emmanuelle was working for a global export business, developing skills in sales, management, finance and governance, which are now invaluable in her role as Dovetailors MD.

Transforming imagination into reality

We opened our first workshop in the Yorkshire Dales in 2005, with a small gallery for local artists and makers. Nearby piano makers Cavendish pianos was our first wood component design and manufacturing customer.

We became known for our collaborative approach, working in partnership with our customers, taking their ideas – however unusual – and using our design expertise and furniture making skills to bring them to fruition.

One of our most ambitious early projects was this Art Deco inspired wave kitchen, made using a carefully templated combination of ripple maple, oak and walnut.

Making furniture that’s not on the high street

Most of our work in the early years was for private customers who wanted something specific for their home that didn’t exist in the shops. Whatever shape or style they were looking for, we would find a solution and work out the best way to make it for them.

Our curved Arpeggio coffee table was a design for a private customer that we remade many times to people’s bespoke specifications. It ended up becoming a bestseller. This success inspired us to create a range of products and, ultimately an online shop.

Making furniture that’s not on the high street

Most of our work in the early years was for private customers who wanted something specific for their home that didn’t exist in the shops. Whatever shape or style they were looking for, we would find a solution and work out the best way to make it for them.

Our curved Arpeggio coffee table was a design for a private customer that we remade many times to people’s bespoke specifications. It ended up becoming a bestseller. This success inspired us to create a range of products and, ultimately an online shop.

dovetailors arpeggio burr walnut coffee table

For our clients

As recognised heritage and church furniture designers, we have been invited to design fonts, Paschal candles, altars, choir stalls and even a ceremonial chair for Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth II.

Working for churches, architects and specifiers

Our reputation for quality craftsmanship grew and we began to take on commissions from specifiers, including architects and renovation teams.

We particularly enjoyed working with the community at Wakefield Cathedral to help them rethink their interiors and furnishings for a new generation, modernising the style and purpose without losing sight of the historic architecture and solemn purpose of the building.

Working for churches, architects and specifiers

Our reputation for quality craftsmanship grew and we began to take on commissions from specifiers, including architects and renovation teams.

We particularly enjoyed working with the community at Wakefield Cathedral to help them rethink their interiors and furnishings for a new generation, modernising the style and purpose without losing sight of the historic architecture and solemn purpose of the building.

Bespoke church furniture - Church font

For our clients

As recognised heritage and church furniture designers, we have been invited to design fonts, Paschal candles, altars, choir stalls and even a ceremonial chair for Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth II.

Bespoke choir stalls in oak - Wakefield Cathedral - inscription detail

More space and even bigger projects

Long before the lauch of our virtual store, we had a physical shop in the fabulous setting of Sunny Bank Mills in Farsley, Leeds. We had outgrown our little workshop in the Dales and took up residence in a ground floor unit of the former mill.

There was more space for design and manufacture, which meant we could take on even bigger projects and develop techniques such as working with curved ply and incorporating specially engineered mechanisms and castors into our designs.

Our Sunny Bank Mills days will be remembered for the exciting ecclesiastical work we started to carry out thanks to our larger premises and bigger team.

More space and even bigger projects

Long before the lauch of our virtual store, we had a physical shop in the fabulous setting of Sunny Bank Mills in Farsley, Leeds.

We had outgrown our little workshop in the Dales and took up residence in a ground floor unit of the former mill.

Dovetailors at Sunny Bank Mills

There was more space for design and manufacture, which meant we could take on even bigger projects and develop techniques such as working with curved ply and incorporating specially engineered mechanisms and castors into our designs.

Our Sunny Bank Mills days will be remembered for the exciting ecclesiastical work we started to carry out thanks to our larger premises and bigger team.

Combining technology and time-honoured techniques

We invested heavily in CAD/CAM technology and also took delivery of our first and second CNC machines during our time at Sunny Bank Mills, expanding our manufacturing capabilities significantly.

We developed a niche for prototyping and small batch production, working with product designers to share our design knowledge, traditional skill in techniques such as jointing, state of the art in-house technology and manufacturing expertise.

We still love our product development work with commercial customers, working with iterations through to completion. 

Combining technology and time-honoured techniques

We invested heavily in CAD/CAM technology and also took delivery of our first and second CNC machines during our time at Sunny Bank Mills, expanding our manufacturing capabilities significantly.

We developed a niche for prototyping and small batch production, working with product designers to share our design knowledge, traditional skill in techniques such as jointing, state of the art in-house technology and manufacturing expertise.

We still love our product development work with commercial customers, working with iterations through to completion. 

Our curved Arpeggio coffee table was a design for a private customer that we remade many times to people’s bespoke specifications. It ended up becoming a bestseller. This success inspired us to create a range of products and, ultimately an online shop.

We are Dovetailors

Our biggest achievement is the development of our incredibly talented team. We have a strong tradition of training cabinet makers.

There are clear advantages for them in developing their skills and learning in such a busy and varied environment. There are huge benefits for us too as our business benefits from new talent, ideas and energy.

We are Dovetailors

Our biggest achievement is the development of our incredibly talented team. We have a strong tradition of training cabinet makers.

There are clear advantages for them in developing their skills and learning in such a busy and varied environment. There are huge benefits for us too as our business benefits from new talent, ideas and energy.