The Craftsmen at Natural Bed Company

We often talk about our showroom staff here, (as we’re the ones writing blogs!) but we thought we’d do a bit of a spotlight, and introduce you to the craftsmen here at Natural Bed Company. They’re the brains behind our beds, and each one if handmade to order by them!

Nigel – Our Workshop Manager

A talented craftsman with over 15 years of experience in carpentry, Nigel has been our workshop manger for some time now. He plays a crucial role in the design process for any new model, working closely with our designer and company director Caro.

“My favourite part of the job? It’s the satisfaction of turning planked timber into a beautiful piece of furniture.”

– Nigel

Generally, an order is put into the hands of a single craftsman to take it from start to finish. We think this is an important connection between the woodworker and the customer. Our craftsmen have a sense of ownership over the finished product, along with a responsibility to the client.

Loathe to blow his own trumpet, I did manage to get Nigel to admit to a compliment he received from a customer in Scotland. This customer compared the three beds made for him to “German engineering.” This is a particuarly flattering comment as the customer also owned a pre-built German house!

Nigel’s pride in the beautiful pieces of furniture he produces is clear to see. For example, his favourite piece from the Natural Bed Company collection is the striking Orchid four-poster bed. “I had a big hand in designing this bed,” says Nigel. The elegant simplicity of this recent design obviously brings him great satisfaction.

Nigel – like most of us here – isn’t just an employee, he’s also a customer! He crafted a bespoke kingsize Zanskar in Walnut and Maple for his own home. Also, he has a child’s size Nevada bed in oak for his son.

“Oak is my favourite timber, no matter what room it goes in, it always looks great.”

– Nigel

Phil – Head of our Lacquering Department

With 25 years of technical experience under his belt, Phil is our go-to-guy for specialist wood stains and lacquered headboards. He is a self-professed perfectionist and loves a challenge! Like Nigel, Phil’s favourite part of the job is seeing a bed through to completion.

“Applying the final coat and seeing the finished article in all it’s glory is incredibly satisfying.”

– Phil

Phil mixes various stain colours for us and works with a range of materials. In particular, he enjoys applying more unusual textured finishes or a challenging high-gloss lacquer.

Phil often gets to work on his favourite bed design – the Kyoto bed. This is our most popular bed, and Phil understands why; “simple and elegant, what more could you want?” His favourite timber is walnut, which he describes as “modern and classy.” We think walnut looks perfect with the simple, soft satin lacquer that we use at Natural Bed Company.

This finish allows the beauty of the wide variety of tones naturally found in walnut to shine through.

At home, Phil has a pine Malabar bed with an Antique Pine finish – applied by his own fair hands! It’s a classic bed design which suits any room style with a timeless, golden finish.

Steve – Head Futon Maker

Steve has been making our futons for over 10 years. With our director Peter’s input, he has experimented with fillings and design adjustments to come up with our best-ever futon mattress. It is comparatively light-weight, comfortable and wonderfully supportive!

Steve loves to manage his own time, working closely with our sewing department to produce our exclusive futon mattresses. Because each is hand made we can tailor our designs to meet our customers’ needs.

“I have made futons in so many shapes and sizes! I even made a bespoke collection to fit the prow of a boat!”

– Steve

Steve is lucky enough to own his favourite Natural Bed Company bed – a Kumo bed base without a headboard in a whitewash finish. It’s minimalist look is what appeals to him, like his favourite timber – maple – it has a clean, subtle and modern style.

If you’d like any more information about the processes we use in creating our products, please don’t hesitate to get in touch with us!