Interest in handmade kitchens and cabinetry is bringing new life to the sector while providing training for young people keen to learn time honoured skills
Once upon a time, in almost all secondary modern schools, there were classes in woodwork and metalwork in the onsite workshops and there was no doubt that they could lead to a career or at the very least DIY skills that would come in very handy.
The classes continued for some time after most state schools were turned into comprehensives, where pupils were welcomed regardless of their academic ability or social background.
While regarded as a good and inclusive model, there were casualties and the woodwork and metalwork classes were among them and they began disappearing to the point where very few exist
Now the emphasis in schools is firmly on academia rather than trades and although colleges run carpentry and joinery courses, the chance to capture a young person’s interest in these and other artisanal skills has often gone long before 16 year-olds walk out of the school gates for the final time.
Yet those skills are now in demand thanks to more interest in investing in beautiful handcrafted items that are made to last, leading to a skills shortage issue for some businesses.
The Secret Drawer, which has a workshop in Skipton and showrooms in Skipton and Ilkley, is an exception thanks to its commitment to keeping traditional cabinet making alive by engaging with and upskilling the younger generation by taking on apprentices.
The company believes the role of a modern cabinet maker is more than a job, it is a true vocation and so finding the right candidates is vital as the road from apprentice to fully fledged maker is a long one.
Richard Mason, furniture designer and owner of The Secret Drawer, says “Turning wood into fine furniture requires attention to detail, an understanding of raw timber and a mastery of specialist tools and highly trained skills. It also takes sensitivity, patience and intelligence along with hard work and years of training.
“It takes years to learn about the qualities of different woods and to hone making skills, but through dedication and a genuine passion it is an incredibly rewarding profession.
“Wood is a rich, diverse and beautiful raw material to work with. It is a living thing, with a smell, feel and strength and some would say a soul.”
While the last few decades of mass production have given us a much greater choice, it has come with the loss of individuality and quality but there are now reasons to be more cheerful for makers.
Richard says: “There has been a social change that has made many more people mindful and they are rejecting mass-produced products in favour of handmade items that will last a lifetime.
“A bespoke piece of furniture designed and made today will be the antique of the future, plus a beautiful, well-made piece of furniture can outlive its owner and can be handed down through the generations.”
The Secret Drawer apprenticeship for aspiring cabinet makers includes a training program in the workshop, alongside a college course.
“We surround our young apprentices with experienced people who are passionate about their craft and enjoy sharing their knowledge,” says Richard.
Every job in the workshop starts with a “setting out” rod, a long piece of wood that provides the precise, full size measurements for all the furniture to be made for each room. This is accompanied by hand-drawn plans.
“Our team relishes the challenges that each project presents and the enormous sense of achievement that they receive from creating something with their hands is enhanced by our one cabinet maker, one job philosophy, which means one person makes the project from start to finish,” says Richard.
“We design for every room in the home, so that ensures that cabinet makers stay fresh and excited about every piece of furniture they make.”
The Secret Drawer derives its name from the tradition of secreting a compartment within furniture. Each cabinet maker must design the secret drawer, specifically for the piece they are making, then create and hide it, along with the mechanism within the piece of furniture.
It is an expression of creativity and concealment so much so that it can take clients years to find their secret drawer.
Apprenticeships at the firm generally last one to four years and it takes four to six years to become a junior cabinet maker, six to eight years to become a cabinet maker and more to become a senior cabinet maker.
James completed his apprenticeship seven years ago and says: “I liked that all the apprenticeship course was in the workshop. It was all practical without having to go into college.”
His advice for would-be woodwork apprentices is “You must learn how to ask for help from those with experience and do as you’re told.”
He adds: “With cabinet making every job is different. After seven years I am still doing new things and learning. If you like working with your hands, are interested in woodwork and love variety then I would recommend an apprenticeship.”
While Richard has been able to recruit apprentices, some others struggle.
Andrew Steane runs an ornamental plastering business and rents a space on the Secret Drawer site in Skipton. He says: “More people are willing to pay for quality because it lasts but there needs to be more emphasis on learning a trade and that doesn’t always have to mean going to college.
“If you want to be a plasterer, find a company to take you on as an apprentice. You will learn more on site.”
*The Secret Drawer www.thesecret-drawer.co.uk, tel: 01756 797800, Andrew Steane ornamental plasterers, tel: 07850 973192. A longer version of this story is on www.yorkshirepost.co.uk/lifestyle/homes-and-gardens