Welcoming Jan Waterston, Furniture Designer-Maker

Thrilled to be welcoming Jan Waterston into the Teer & Co fold of Artist-Designer-Makers.

Jan joins us to offer his flair, imagination and expertise in the creation of truly inspired handcrafted furniture making, from his independent UK based studio. Jan’s talent brings another dimension to our ability to offer a wide range of furniture making styles and skills, and further broadens our capacity to coordinate bespoke commission projects for private clients, interior designers and architects.

Jan established his studio with the goal to explore the junction between art, craft, and design. Driven by forms ability to disrupt a space, objects are realised through traditional exploration of material, and grounded through conceptual meaning. 

Working independently, Jan offers a range of speculative works, bespoke commission pieces, and furniture collections, all exclusively made to order. Often inspired by his speculative pieces that explore abstract ideas realised through the deep practical study of both material and process, bespoke commissioned works are developed to compliment a client’s distinct vision.

‘’As the seasoning to architecture, I believe that furniture is the tangible part of a space, providing individuals with the opportunity to form a meaningful connection to their surroundings. It is the uncertain poise of my furniture that holds a space and invites people in, whilst wood’s resonance makes the object relatable, encouraging an instinctive exploration of each piece and its environment.

I aim to achieve a notion of unfamiliar harmony through a subtle balance of visual softness, graphic awkwardness, and physical functionality. A recipe that creates a sense of hesitation and intrigue, offering the intended experience of delicate disturbance.’’

Following is a selection of Jan’s outstanding work which can be customised when required. 

Jan originally completed a traditional City and Guilds in cabinet making, later going on to the prestigious Rycotewood Furniture School where he obtained a first-class hon in Furniture Design and Fine Craft. On graduating, he undertook a yearlong residency at The Sylva Wood Foundation where he continued to refine his practice and won multiple industry awards.

Jan then founded his own studio where he strives to further develop his traditional woodworking methods with contemporary processes, whilst keeping the material firmly at the centre of his practice. 

‘’Wood is the essential element that grounds all my work. Compelled to do justice to the material, I take a sensitive but instinctive approach, resulting in a deep understanding of the material, its inherent nature, and its unique qualities. This is a practice of patience, a purposeful contradiction to contemporary life, executed through a traditional woodworking practice. Inspired by the arrangements and tactility’s provided by the natural world, a sense of spirit and individual identity is instilled in each piece, personifying woods living qualities.

Originality is crafted through refined obscurities, whilst each piece retains its familiarity of conventional form and function. Choosing to sculpt with this unusually hard material offers the opportunity to show a softer side of its common visual identity, with pieces offering a graphic smoothness and poise.’’ 

If you have any questions about Jan’s work, or would like to discuss a bespoke project of your own, then please call 07957 627052 or email simon@simonteer.com.