We love making these chairs, and we love the smile they bring to peoples faces when first encountered at a show! Sculptural, natural, characterfull, yet humble, these chairs capture the imagination. We make a standard range of chairs as well as running courses for you to make your own.
Known variably as Bentwood Chairs, Bent Stick Chairs and Gypsy Willow Chairs, they come from a long peasant tradition of home furniture making. They are made entirely of sticks nailed together to form elegant sweeping curves. Nails themselves are an ancient technology without which these chairs would be impossible to make. Their origins are unclear, but they are more common in parts of North America where they encountered a renaisance during the great depression of the 1930's. However, similar styles using indiginous materials can be found around the world, and most recently we encoutered a set in Morocco, featured below.
Availability
We aim to keep standard items in stock, but they may have to be made to order. However, even during very busy periods, we will try our best to squeeze your order in. Contact us for current prices & availability.
This bentwood chair is true to the tradition of bent willow furniture with a completely nailed willow frame and decorative stickwork. It has additional stick art on the front and back. Reclined enough to be comfortable, upright enough to engage with others. Coupled with some soft cushions or luxurious sheepskins, they make for a wonderful chair for the covered outdoor space or better still, give it pride of place next to your log fire!
Sizes
These chairs can be fairly large with a seat width of 60cm and overall width and height of about 80cm. However, we can make them tailored to your size requirements.
This refined bent stick chair is the top of our standard range. It features a slimlined mortice & tenon willow frame, additional decorative nailed stickwork on the arms, back & seat, with additional stick art on all sides making it a pleasure to view from all angles. Reclined enough to be comfortable, upright enough to engage with friends & family, it is also more comfortable than the 'Classic' due to the extra seat sticks. Coupled with some soft cushions or luxurious sheepskins, they make for a wonderful chair worthy of a place in any home.
Sizes
These chairs can be fairly large with a seat width of 60cm and overall width and height of about 80cm. However, we can make them tailored to your size requirements.
These are the smallest chairs we make with the smallest people in mind. Children love sticks, and having a chair made from them can fire their imagination. They feature the traditional nailed frame with fewer sticks on the arms, back and seat in order to keep this small chair in proportion.
Sizes
These chairs really are quite small with a seat width of 30cm and overall width and height of about 50cm. As such they tend to fit in a relatively small bedroom. And believe it or not, a small to medium sized adult can fit in it too for bed time stories!
These Bentwood Chairs offer and more compact option than the traditional form and can be suitable for cafes, a corner or next to the coffee table. More upright and often referred to as 'Occasional Chairs', they are better suited for eating and socailising from or for use as your home office chair. Once again they feature a more refined mortice & tenon frame construction resulting in a sleeker apprearance.
Sizes
These chairs are fairly compact with an overal width of about 50cm and heigth of about 70cm. As such they tend to fit in relatively small spaces whilst providing ample sitting space for most adults.
Whilst on a winter holiday in Marrakesh, Morocco in January 2026, we stumbled upon these bentwood chairs on the roof terrace of our Riad. Of course I was quite excited to see them, being the first time I had encountered them from a different heritage. These are not made of willow, but probably rattan, and obviously painted pink, which seems to be the standard technique. However, whilst not being willow, they do share exactly the same method of construction, and wonderfully adapted as a light and characterful cafe chair. Watch this space as they may form the basis of a new range :)
A Gallery of Furniture Projects
Bent Stick or 'Gypsy Willow' Chairs and other Rustic Furniture
