From furniture making to home renovations, it's all about Made By Bayliss

Well. This is all a bit new. A re-vamped website. My first blog post. Some brand new homeware products to list in my brand new online shop just as soon as I've worked out how to link up the payment system...Phew. It's all go.

So. Welcome to Made By Bayliss, run by me, designer-maker Martyn Bayliss. By now, if you've visited said new website, I guess you'll know that I love working with wood, be it making furniture or renovating houses. I've always enjoyed joinery and creating things, but originally trained as a graphic designer. After a career-change, I graduated from a furniture-making course at Marc Fish's Robinson House Studio and launched Made By Bayliss, marrying both disciplines - craft and design.

Me. Hard at work in the new Kent workshop.

With several commissions under my belt for different businesses in London (including lots of bespoke outdoor furniture for several local pubs - probably says something about where I hang out on occasion...), I stopped covering the neighbours' gardens with sawdust and moved out to a new workshop in Kent, which is where I’m now based.

For me, Made by Bayliss all about creating products that are not only beautiful and well made, but also practical and have longevity. Which is why, for example, I research my materials before making, and ensure that the right wood is used for the task at hand. The throw-away culture which seems to have developed over time is not something that I buy into, and one of my strong beliefs is that we should make things to last - reviving the art of craftsmanship, making things with care, attention and a little bit of love. Because when people connect with their furniture or homeware products, it makes them all that harder to dispose of. That's not to say I want you to burst into tears of joy when you see what I've made (although if you love it that much, that's great), but knowing that I've invoked an emotional response makes me happy too. My work has done it's job.

However, Made By Bayliss isn't just about making products. I love uncovering pieces of the past in people's homes and making them sing again, or creating designs for the future which are made to last. I believe the general term is home improvements, but I like to focus on the three r's: renovation (reduce), reconstruction (reuse) and revitalisation (recycle). With a focus on traditional methods and using sustainable design, I hope that the work I've done in houses stands the test of time too.

Me in renovation mode. With a little help from a furry friend...

So in a nutshell, that's me and Made By Bayliss. If you like what you see on my website, and like what you've read here, then that's great. And, if you'd like to have a chat about working with me, be it on a furniture commission or a renovation project then that would be even greater.

Until next time...