The Heavy Life

Handmade furniture in the Chinese tradition, built in Australian hardwoods. Plus the kitchen that feeds it, the garden that feeds the kitchen, and the writing that binds it all together.


Start Here

Three ways in. The manifesto if you want the argument. An essay if you want the voice. A Bench Mark if you want to see what's on the bench.


Latest

Dispatch: Three Days of Prep for Four Hours of Work

The spandrels are mostly done. Tricky angles cut, fit to their bridles, and sitting in place with no gap wider than a cigarette paper is thick (I checked with feeler gauges...). It's taken the best part of three

1 May 2026 · 1 min read min read

Dispatch: Three Days of Prep for Four Hours of Work Dispatch: Three Days of Prep for Four Hours of Work Brush Notes: The Spandrels, àn table part 7 Brush Notes: The Spandrels, àn table part 7
The first time a chisel bit into a piece of timber the lie of the digital world was exposed.
Read the manifesto →

Bench Mark

Chinese furniture forms, from the bench.
Bench Mark: Eight Millimetres
17 Apr 2026 · 3 min read min read

Essays

The longer pieces — the ones worth forwarding.
Essay: The Anova Paradox
31 Mar 2026 · 7 min read min read
Essay: On Camping
13 Mar 2026 · 3 min read min read
Essay: The Boys Made the Pastry
23 Feb 2026 · 3 min read min read

Dispatches

Weekly letters from the workshop.
Dispatch: Three Days of Prep for Four Hours of Work
1 May 2026
Dispatch: Is This What Skill Feels Like?
24 Apr 2026
Dispatch: Roy's Micrometer
11 Apr 2026

Brush Notes

Quick notes from the bench. Short, unpolished, honest.

Stay close to the work