 |
|
|
Peter West comes from a family that has a long history of working with timber, which goes back over 200 years. It is therefore no surprise, that on leaving school at sixteen, Peter decided to become a wood turner and continue the family tradition.
Working from a shed at the family home, he started his own company and in 1985 he and his brother Gilbert (who runs the carpentry and joinery company of L.West & Son) purchased a barn and some derelict farm buildings in East Dean from The Goodwood Estate Company. Together they restored and rebuilt the buildings to create the workshops that they still use today.
Peter continued producing bespoke woodturnings for private commissions, antique restorers, furniture makers and builders. During this time he also developed an interest in furniture making and took on an experienced cabinetmaker to develop this side of his business. He later employed his nephew Matthew, when he left school, as an apprentice cabinetmaker and on the retirement of his mentor, Matthew took over making the bespoke fine furniture, which is associated with ‘West's of East Dean’.
December 2000 saw the opening of Peter’s Showroom at East Dean where the fine examples of his furniture, woodturning and other timber products are displayed above his workshops.
In 2006 Peter acquired the rights to the ‘Hortus Ornamenti’ brand name and tool design and added garden hand tools and accessories to his portfolio. A natural progression for Peter’s talents as for some years he had been making tool handles and many of the wooden accessories for them.
In 2009, to celebrate the 200th Anniversary of the West family working with timber, Peter organised a Wood Fair at the workshops and in the adjoining field at East Dean. Over a fine weekend in June some 25 select exhibitors were invited to celebrate the natural beauty and versatility of timber in all its forms. Displays and demonstrations were used to show the many and varied ways in which timber has been used from the past to the present day and to promote traditional crafts.
Long may the West family tradition and talent of working with timber be appreciated for future generations!
Gallery of a selection of our pieces
(click on them for a slideshow)
Hortus Ornamenti
Twine Caddies & Bowl
Collector's Chest
Card table
Bureau Cabinet
Gun Cabinet
Drawer detail
Visually simple, attention to detail
Our Showroom
Phone
E-mail
Share this
RSS