A question I am often asked. Most people expect creative types to warble on about how inspirational the local landscape is. Which is true, but not all the time. Read on if you would like to know how the Forbidden Forest inspired me …
I was out on my daily walk, when this bright yellow road sign caught my eye. A spark of inspiration hit me, right between the eyes.
On my return home I asked Paul what the ‘Forbidden Forest’ actually was. Turns out that I am so not down with the kids as I thought. I was reliably informed, that it was an organised rave being held in the grounds of nearby Grimsthorpe Castle.
Not really what I expected and neither were the hundreds of coaches from all over the country that brought the party going youngsters to this huge event. (Which went very well and was no bother at all to local residents).
By the way, that’s me in the pink t shirt to the left, by the front of the stage. (Only joking!)
Obviously my mind works very differently to the youth of today. I was thinking more Enid Blyton, (just shows you how old I am), with magical forest creatures under a moonlit sky.
(Please note I was not under the influence of drugs during my musings. Pinot Grigio, maybe, drugs, no).
Some furniture is for the here and now and some is built to last.
I had the perfect chair ~ another Facebook Marketplace find. Not only was it very comfortable to sit in, it was also a lovely shape.
Circa 1920’s I would say, it had obviously been re-upholstered a few times by make do and mend enthusiasts.
This chair was definitely built to last and was not ready for the scrapheap just yet.
Every chair tells a little story
All the old fabric and stuffing had to be stripped down to the bare frame. Then new webbing and springs were added. It had obviously be owned by a lady who loved to sew going by the number of hair clips, pins, needles and buttons found down the sides of the chair.
The frame was cleaned up ~ years of muck and grime were removed to reveal beautiful oak wood, with a lovely grain, then it was finished off with natural hemp oil.
Now the fun could begin!
I had the design for the Forbidden Forest Chair in my head.
Winter’s coming …
Silver birch trees with stunning ghost like bark. The silk full moon shines down on the scene. Mr Hare gazes up at the moon.
Silk leaves in shades of autumn float down and mingle with snowflakes. A tiny mouse shivers and watches the leaves fall.
A bear blunders out of the trees and blows a snowflake off his nose. A spider weaves his magical silvery web.
Ta Dah!
The Finished Design
I am delighted with how it has turned out. My Forbidden Forest Chair was lovely to work on and, most importantly, some very lucky person is going to be the proud owner of this truly unique chair.
Trust me, there will never, ever be another one like it.
If you want to be this person then you will find further details either in my Chairs for Sale page or my Etsy shop
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