Yours For The Making with Robin Johnson Podcast By Robin Johnson cover art

Yours For The Making with Robin Johnson

Yours For The Making with Robin Johnson

By: Robin Johnson
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Yours for the Making with Robin Johnson is the podcast that celebrates creativity, craftsmanship, and the art of making. Hosted by Robin Johnson - founder of Johnson Bespoke and BBC presenter on shows such as The Travelling Auctioneers, The Restorers, Woodland Workshop this podcast dives into the stories of makers from all walks of life. From woodworkers, metal fabricators, and chefs to artists, designers, and hobbyists, each episode offers real conversations with the people behind the things we love. Whether you're a hands-on creative, aspiring artisan, or simply curious about how things are made, this podcast offers inspiration, insight, and practical wisdom. Expect behind-the-scenes stories, lessons in process and passion, and a celebration of the maker movement in all its forms. Subscribe now and follow Yours for the Making wherever you listen to your favourite podcasts.Copyright 2026 Robin Johnson Art Biographies & Memoirs Social Sciences
Episodes
  • The Dark Art of Upholstery: Building a Bespoke British Furniture Business from the Ground Up

    The Dark Art of Upholstery: Building a Bespoke British Furniture Business from the Ground Up
    Mar 19 2026
    Robin Johnson sits down with Jeff McGurty, founder and owner of D&P Upholstery in Gateshead, one of the North East's most established bespoke upholstery businesses. Jeff built his company from a one-man band operating out of evenings and weekends into a seven-person team with a brand new, five times larger workshop in Team Valley. In this episode, Jeff and Robin pull back the curtain on the upholstery trade: a craft that is simultaneously a dark art, a dying art, and a business full of genuine opportunity for those who approach it with curiosity and commercial instinct. They cover the nuts and bolts of running a split commercial and domestic upholstery operation, the frustrations of dealing with premium fabric suppliers, the smart play of building a client base through interior designers, and the calculated growth decisions that took Jeff from moonlighting in a small unit to leading a team and developing a new product range under his own brand, Forme. If you work in the trades, run a craft business, or simply love hearing how skilled makers build real businesses from raw skill, this episode delivers.Key Topics CoveredThe realities of running a bespoke upholstery business in the UK todayWhy targeting interior designers is one of the smartest growth strategies in the tradesThe frustrations of dealing with high-end fabric suppliers and why cheaper fabrics often outperform expensive onesHow Jeff grew DNP Upholstery by buying an existing business, retaining its staff, and scaling it upThe role of AI visualisation software in transforming how designers and clients spec upholstery projectsThe modular sofa system that allows Jeff to offer 20 different designs without building 20 different sofasThe honest truth about taking on apprentices and the rising cost of employing peopleWhy hiring a floor manager was the single biggest change that unlocked business growthThe decline of British furniture manufacturing and what the upholstery trade looks like todayPlans for upholstery workshops open to the public and why they double as a powerful marketing toolJeff's advice for anyone wanting to get into upholstery as a careerEnjoying the show?Leave a review, follow us, and share the episode with a fellow maker. New episodes every week with artists, designers, craftsmen and creators from around the world.Yours for the Making with Robin Johnson is the podcast that celebrates creativity, craftsmanship, and the art of making. Hosted by Robin Johnson — founder of Johnson Bespoke and BBC presenter on The Travelling Auctioneers, The Restorers, Woodland Workshop — this podcast dives into the stories of makers from all walks of life. From woodworkers, metal fabricators, and chefs to artists, designers, and hobbyists, each episode offers real conversations with the people behind the things we love.Whether you're a hands-on creative, aspiring artisan, or simply curious about how things are made, this podcast offers inspiration, insight, and practical wisdom. Expect behind-the-scenes stories, lessons in process and passion, and a celebration of the maker movement in all its forms.Subscribe now and follow Yours for the Making wherever you listen to your favourite podcasts.Key Moments:00:00 Robin introduces Jeff McGurty and opens with the idea of upholstery as a dark art, hidden craft work that disguises whatever sits beneath it01:30 Jeff breaks down the 50/50 split between domestic re-upholstery and commercial bespoke seating, and how subcontracting frame-making keeps the operation lean02:35 The pair dig into the absurdity of dealing with premium fabric suppliers: week-long quotes, discontinued stock, and bureaucratic trade account processes that slow down real work04:12 Jeff compares expensive fabrics to designer brands and explains why mid-range fabrics with strong rub-test results often do a better job05:59 Jeff's origin story: Sports Science, two weeks of work experience as a PE teacher, and a summer job that changed everything08:11 The business decision that shaped Jeff's early growth: building relationships with interior designers rather than chasing direct-to-consumer work11:49 How Jeff ended up working above one of his interior designer clients, and the move that eventually led him to buy DNP Upholstery from its retiring founders Derek and Pam14:55 Jeff reveals the new modular sofa range being developed under the Form brand, including AI-powered fabric visualisation software built for trade-only use18:11 The clever modular arm system that lets Jeff show 20 distinct sofa designs using a single seat and back unit with interchangeable arms21:07 Robin's honest account of buying a sofa online and why he will never do it again23:39 The best cushion filling? Jeff argues for a foam core with a feather wrap: structure without the sag24:27 Jeff's most unusual project: a Chesterfield sofa made entirely from Paul Collingwood's cricket jerseys, each diamond panel featuring a different team badge27:29 Why employing people remains the ...
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    53 mins
  • Designing Ash Furniture in Britain with Katie Walker and Charlie Dedman on Sustainable Chair Making and Manufacturing

    Designing Ash Furniture in Britain with Katie Walker and Charlie Dedman on Sustainable Chair Making and Manufacturing
    Mar 12 2026

    Robin Johnson speaks with furniture designer Katie Walker and designer Charlie Dedman about the collaboration behind Meon Furniture and the realities of modern British furniture making. The conversation explores design for manufacture, steam bending ash timber, CNC machining, sustainable forestry and the business decisions behind heirloom furniture. They discuss the shift from studio craft to batch production, the value of workshop knowledge, and the importance of constant product improvement through feedback and testing. The episode also examines the role of British timber, the impact of ash dieback on forestry, and the challenge of building furniture that will last for decades rather than years.

    Key Topics Covered

    1. Furniture design collaboration between Katie Walker and Charlie Dedman
    2. The launch and vision of the Meon Furniture brand
    3. Steam bending ash timber in chair making
    4. Design for manufacture and batch production
    5. CNC machining in modern furniture workshops
    6. British ash timber and the impact of ash dieback
    7. Sustainable furniture production and responsible forestry
    8. B Corp certification and ethical manufacturing
    9. Furniture product development and continuous improvement
    10. The difference between studio craft and commercial manufacturing
    11. Building heirloom furniture designed to last generations

    Enjoying the show?

    Leave a review, follow us, and share the episode with a fellow maker. New episodes every week with artists, designers, craftsmen and creators from around the world.

    Yours for the Making with Robin Johnson is the podcast that celebrates creativity, craftsmanship, and the art of making. Hosted by Robin Johnson — founder of Johnson Bespoke and BBC presenter on The Travelling Auctioneers, The Restorers, Woodland Workshop — this podcast dives into the stories of makers from all walks of life. From woodworkers, metal fabricators, and chefs to artists, designers, and hobbyists, each episode offers real conversations with the people behind the things we love.

    Whether you're a hands-on creative, aspiring artisan, or simply curious about how things are made, this podcast offers inspiration, insight, and practical wisdom. Expect behind-the-scenes stories, lessons in process and passion, and a celebration of the maker movement in all its forms.


    Subscribe now and follow Yours for the Making wherever you listen to your favourite podcasts.

    Key Moments:

    00:00 Introduction to Katie Walker and Charlie Dedman

    01:23 Origins of the Meon Furniture collaboration

    02:15 Katie Walker’s design education and Royal College background

    07:23 Designing furniture for CNC manufacture

    10:33 Learning woodworking skills through hands on training

    13:48 Steam bending ash timber for chair design

    17:21 Why ash timber is used for interior furniture

    18:52 British ash, forestry and ash dieback

    23:17 The history and reputation of Gaze Burvill furniture

    29:11 Designing joinery that reduces manufacturing time

    31:33 Designing sculptural furniture versus designing for production

    37:35 Product development and improving furniture over time

    41:27 Designing heirloom furniture built to last generations

    45:26 Launch strategy for Meon Furniture

    49:12 Why chair making is one of the hardest furniture disciplines

    50:48 Advice to younger designers entering the craft industry
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    1 hr and 4 mins
  • From Woodturning to TEFAF New York: Ash and Plumb on Sculpture, Storytelling and Building a High End Craft Business

    From Woodturning to TEFAF New York: Ash and Plumb on Sculpture, Storytelling and Building a High End Craft Business
    Mar 5 2026

    In this episode of Yours for the Making, Robin Johnson speaks with Barnaby Ash and Dru Plumb of Plumb and Ash about their rise from garage woodturning to exhibiting at TEFAF New York. They discuss Greco Roman influences, sculptural wood vessels, working with green oak, embracing cracks and stitch work, targeting high end galleries, and building a profitable craft business through strategy, research and relentless refinement.

    Key Topics Covered

    • Woodturning and contemporary wood sculpture

    • Greco Roman classicism and design history influence

    • Storytelling in art and craft practice

    • Working with green oak, cracks and natural movement

    • Stitching wood vessels and visible mending techniques

    • Transition from craft fairs to international art fairs

    • Targeting high end galleries and collectors

    • Pricing strategy and value in the art market

    • Creative partnership and studio roles

    • Burnout, pressure and creative flow state

    • Building a sustainable craft business in the UK

    • Future plans including blacksmithing and workshop expansion

    Enjoying the show?

    Leave a review, follow us, and share the episode with a fellow maker. New episodes every week with artists, designers, craftsmen and creators from around the world.

    Yours for the Making with Robin Johnson is the podcast that celebrates creativity, craftsmanship, and the art of making. Hosted by Robin Johnson — founder of Johnson Bespoke and BBC presenter on The Travelling Auctioneers, The Restorers, Woodland Workshop — this podcast dives into the stories of makers from all walks of life. From woodworkers, metal fabricators, and chefs to artists, designers, and hobbyists, each episode offers real conversations with the people behind the things we love.

    Whether you're a hands-on creative, aspiring artisan, or simply curious about how things are made, this podcast offers inspiration, insight, and practical wisdom. Expect behind-the-scenes stories, lessons in process and passion, and a celebration of the maker movement in all its forms.

    Subscribe now and follow Yours for the Making wherever you listen to your favourite podcasts.

    Key Moments:

    00:00 Introduction to Plumb and Ash and their sculptural woodturning

    01:06 Greco Roman influences and design research

    03:17 Storytelling, symbolism and emotional impact in sculpture

    08:46 Starting out with a second hand lathe and garage workshop

    16:18 Moving from functional objects to sculptural vessels

    17:48 Targeting high end galleries and strategic growth

    22:24 Pressure, ambition and creative risk

    25:01 Division of roles in a creative partnership

    27:32 Working with green oak, cracks and stitched repairs

    34:55 Complex sculptural handles and pushing technical limits

    38:43 Milestones including Collect, museum acquisitions and TEFAF

    51:13 Plans for a new woodland workshop

    56:05 Burnout, deadlines and creative obsession

    59:51 Making work that feels beyond your own ability

    01:00:57 Advice to their eighteen year old selves
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    1 hr and 6 mins
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