Following a week of whittling, Sunday saw the close of our Great Heal’s Bodging Race. Transforming our windows into a working studio, 6 top designers from around the globe battled the clock to each produce a handmade chair (and not forgetting a stool) using the ancient English craft of bodging.
Needless to say, we all had a great time watching their creations come to life. But how did the bodgers fair with their new surroundings?
Apart from the unanimous response that it was “rather hot”, it seems it didn’t take our designers long to get settled. As furniture designer William Warren pointed out “it’s definitely a change from the studio, but it’s actually been surprisingly easy to forget that you’re working on a busy high-street.”
Of course, while it may seem strange to the crafters, it’s not every day that our shoppers see the famous displays replaced by workbenches and tools. Thankfully, we couldn’t have hoped for a better response, with plenty of curious visitors “popping in and asking lots of questions.”
On the public’s reaction, furniture and homewares maker Carl Clerkin muses “I suppose we just take it for granted that this is the process, but to the public it’s really useful to see the furniture being made as it makes the objects a lot more real.”
To view the beautiful bodges in real life, head to our flagship store where you can also get involved in all the other wonderful events taking place as part of Heal’s Modern Craft Market.
Vote for your favourite design today for the chance to win £200 to spend at Heal’s (voting is now closed)
