About Chippendale School of Furniture
Founded in 1985, the Chippendale International School of Furniture is the UKs leading furniture design college and offers a unique opportunity for students who want to make working with wood their future. The furniture course covers in-depth practical work, core woodworking skills, furniture design and furniture restoration through expert tuition, lectures, field trips and lots of one-to-one, individual teaching.
Our feedback suggests that our courses are that little bit different:
1. On our intensive course, we teach you up to 80 woodworking techniques in just 9 months (other schools take 2 to 3 years to cover the same ground);
2. We lay on lectures, visiting experts, learning from your colleagues and field trips, as well as spending up to 1,400 hours doing practical benchwork on your own projects;
3. We provide all the tools you need - planes, safety gear, routers, chisels, hammers (worth at least ¢G2,500);
4. Your fees include all the wood required to make 3 pieces of furniture, sourced and dried here from local Scottish hardwoods;
5. Our course has a business focus, geared to helping many of our students realise their dreams of setting up their own woodworking and furniture making businesses (up to 70% of students do!);
6. After the course, new graduates can rent low cost bench space in the adjoining Chippendale Incubator Workshops and benefit from our tutors, tools, woodworking community and network of contacts;
7. Our students enjoy working together in one big workshop - help each other and share banter with colleagues (instead of being split up into small workshops);
8. Our college is about half an hour from Edinburgh, one of Europes most popular cultural cities, set in beautiful Scottish countryside, a wonderfully creative environment;
9. You learn about furniture design, making and restoration alongside a functioning cabinet making business.
10. You dont need to have previous woodworking experience, just a love of working with wood and the desire to turn it into a career or hobby.
Appreciate and Learn Furniture Design
Our students learn the history of furniture, from Thomas Chippendale through to top contemporary furniture designers. Our experienced tutors develop students practical and creative furniture designing skills.
Practical Furniture Making on our cabinet making courses
Each student will develop their woodworking skills by making at least two original pieces during the course.
Learn about Furniture Restoration
Only through the study of antique restoration can students learn the widest range of techniques. This is why our students get at least three items of antique furniture to restore during our cabinet making courses.
Commercial Furniture Making Classes
Business and marketing skills are an integral part of our furniture making course, giving students the confidence to turn their hobby and passion for furniture making into a business. In the second term the Principal offers each student one-to-one mentoring on their future career in furniture.
Field Trips
A programme of visits to Scotlands top museums, workshops and private collections gives students the chance to see great pieces of furniture in context
