John Barnard is a designer blessed with a special talent. He can create works of the most astonishing originality and beauty in any medium appropriate to the task. He is not only a Master Craftsman in traditional wood, as you would expect from someone trained in the Arts & Crafts movement, but he is, uniquely, equally at ease with glass in all its forms, steel and bronze, stone and modern materials and chemicals.

He has a special and refined talent for working constructively with fellow creatives such as architects, interior designers and complementary furniture designers where his natural personality works to achieve harmony in the client's interests. He will argue his case but against the larger picture and the need to deliver on time and to budget. This is a rare gift, much treasured by those who work with him.

A John Barnard design will be like no other. Whether breathtakingly original in its use of materials and design principles or more traditional it will be made by this modern day Renaissance man to reflect the client's wishes and dreams and provide an emotional experience to the owner which cannot be simply explained in terms of pride in ownership. Some people have described their relationship with their John Barnard piece as love.

For this work is a reflection of the client, nothing is forced upon an unwilling subject, no design trick is pulled which might earn plaudits in the designer world but feels uncomfortable to you. This is one of the secrets to John Barnard's approach, to build a piece that feels like home whilst avoiding clichés and the mundane.

The response is tactile - pieces ask to be touched and caressed - clients are often seen running their hands along surfaces as they talk with John, and visual too: the eye is drawn to some exquisite detail as much as to the overall balance of the design. The thing just works.

The creation of these attributes cannot be easily or quickly learned, their origin may lie in that part of the personality that makes one person stand out from the rest, or it may result from decades of experience, from constant learning to respond to what the materials are telling you. Rodin once said in response to the question as to how he creates a lion from a block of marble that he just chipped away at the bits that didn't look like a lion, and in the same way John is master of the materials he employs to render each client's dream.

Today he is widely regarded as one of the leading technical and design innovators in contemporary furniture, and was thus the chosen maker for the Royal wedding present for Prince Charles and Lady Diana Spencer in 1981, and the designer-maker of the bi-centenary furniture in 2005 to commemorate Admiral Lord Nelson's victory at the Battle of Trafalgar, using original and precious oak from Nelson's flagship HMS Victory.

Early Career

John studied furniture making under Nigel Bumphrey a leading teacher of Arts & Crafts traditions who had himself been taught by Edward Barnsley.

In 1962 John studied Electrical Engineering to HND level at Norwich College, subsequently transferring to Mechanical Engineering as being less abstruse, culminating in the title 'Incorporated Engineer.' He believes his engineering education to be seminal in his willingness to consider any material for his purpose and his ability subsequently to make it yield to his designs: it isn't easy to make unforgiving material such as glass bend to your will, or to make steel and brass and other metals behave in the way you require, or to work with the chemistry of resins to achieve the unique material required to make possible John's Resin Raptures but in his hand this is precisely what is achieved.

He was assistant to the Works Engineer at Laurence Scott Electromotors, Norwich, from which he developed a familiarity with electronics, often reflected in his innovative integration of lighting and other electrical or electronic systems in his work. This was followed by the role of assistant to the far-sighted entrepreneur, yachtsman and property owner Peter de Savary in his furniture works in Bridport, Dorset from whence he legged it with the owner's PA, Jacquie Greig. She became his wife and subsequently the mother of their three children, Joanna, James and Benjamin.

Furniture Making

In 1971 John opened his Designer-Maker furniture workshops in a tiny railway platform in Trowse, becoming a founder member of The Norfolk Furniture Makers Association that same year. Continuous expansion of workshops and reputation followed until in 1981, he was asked by Norfolk County Council to design their wedding present for Lady Diana Spencer to Prince Charles - the unique, ground-breaking 'Willow' table, inspired, sadly appropriately, by the Weeping Willow. This is now known as the Diana Willow Table.

In 1982 The Coffee Information Centre in London held a prestigious Coffee Table exhibition where John Barnard was invited to display his second Diana Willow Table which sold immediately.

The Diana Willow Table is a Limited Edition Heritage piece for which a waiting list exists.

In 1998 Lord Bath converted his art studio for banqueting and invited John to build banqueting chairs from an idea by Bath's interior designer based on horn and hoof motifs, where John co-operated with the world renowned John Makepeace who was building the tables.

Exhibitions feature strongly in the lives of furniture designer-makers. As you see in the accompanying photograph, John's designs attract attention, here from Anne, HRH The Princess Royal. His exhibiting started with The Norfolk Furniture Makers show in Norwich, which continues annually to this day, and included founder-exhibitor at '100% Design' in Chelsea Barracks; 'Mode' at Islington Design Centre, the Brussels International Furniture Fair, the 'Classic Biennale' at Kortrijk, Belgium by Betty Norbury, The British Councils 'British Design' exhibition in Melbourne, Australia; 'In Search of Magic' St. Stephens Walbrook, London. 'Kool Kitchens', Walford Mill, Dorset. 'Chairs' Westonburt Arboretum, Tetbury. ' Design & Bespoke' House of Commons., a Worshipful Company initiative by Andrew Varah which introduced MP's to the concept of 'Bespoke' furniture. Betty Norbury's 'Celebration of Craftsmanship' in Cheltenham and the Worshipful Company of Furniture Makers exhibition of Guild Mark holders 'Celebration of Excellence' at Phillips, London.

John was invited to join the Chartered Society of Designers in 1997, The Worshipful Company of Furniture Makers in 1998 and became a Freeman of the City of London at the same time (he can now drive sheep over London Bridge). He is, in 2009, Chair of the Bespoke Guild Mark Committee, President of The Norfolk Furniture Makers, and on the committees of The Norfolk Contemporary Craft Society and the Norwich Rivers Heritage Group. John has chaired the Art in Architecture group, Contemporary Craft Society and The Furniture Makers and the industry side of The Furniture Liaison Panel for Norwich College.

He holds three treasured Bespoke Guild Marks for furniture. Customers for pieces with the Mark are presented with a signed Certificate attesting thereto.

With his deep knowledge and approachable, outgoing personality he is much in demand as a lecturer to students and has done so at the following institutions:

Easton College (Interior Design Course)
Burlingham College (Kitchen Design)
Norwich City College (Joinery and Carpenters)
Institute of Production Engineers (Designing Kitchens)
Lincoln University (Furniture Making 'Running your own Workshop')

In 2007 John featured in the BBC national television's crafts and design programme 'Flog It' with a six minute slot talking with the presenter Paul Martin about the unique John Barnard Furniture Victory table and chairs, their inspiration and their materials. This programme generated a high response from clients wishing to grace their homes and offices with memorable pieces embracing an important part of European history.

Notable commissions are many and include:

Retirement table (Norwich City Council Treasurer), Boardroom table (Norwich Motor Group), Electric floor (Norwich Catholic Cathedral), Pews (St. Peter & Paul Church, Wakefield), Altars and Lectern (Wakefield), Entire furniture for Nave and Altar (Reedham, Norfolk: this won the prestigious 'Craftsmanship' award from Norfolk Architects Association), Rates Hall public seating and tables (Norwich City Rates Hall), Senate House Reception (University of East Anglia), Benches (Founders Lawn, University of East Anglia), Individual Seating (University of East Anglia), Kitchen/dining room/study (Private client Cadogan Square, London), Summer kitchen (Charles Jencks, London), Diana Willow Table (HRH The Princess Diana, Kensington Palace, London), Trafalgar Bicentenary Table & Chairs (Private Client, London), Arts & Crafts kitchen (Private client, Norfolk), two storey extension/bedroom/Bathroom (Private client Norfolk). Massive Regency kitchen with 80mm granite worktops in Manor House (Private client in Norfolk), Galley kitchens in boats (Stelco Boats), Library Furniture (Norfolk County Council in Aylsham), Masters Chair (Worshipful Company of Information Technologists, London), Doors, Two kitchens, Bathroom and Laundry (Private client, Bermuda), Glass Staircase & Kitchen (Private client, Norfolk), Victory Table and 8 Victory Chairs (Private client , London), Trafalgar Studio/Victory Table (Private client, Isle of Man), Kitchen, bathroom, living room (Private client, Norwich), Boardroom tables & Bookcase (Jarrolds, Norwich), Boardroom 'Wherry' Table (Targetfollow, Norwich), Managing Director's Office (King Group, Norwich), Boardroom & Office (Solicitors, Aldwych, London), Managing Director's Office (Richard Nash Cars, Norwich).

Current Obsessions

Resin in furniture, so clients can have the whole tree including the bark.

Bringing disparate materials together, whilst allowing for the strengths and weaknesses of each.

Bringing the excitement of cars into furniture so people get that same 'buzz'.

Revolutionising kitchen design to get rid of the box mentality.

Street furniture.

Electric cars.

Designing for that frisson of expectation.