The Heavy Life

I'm Jake Lunniss. I make furniture by hand in a small workshop in Ocean Grove, cook lunch for strangers every other Saturday, and write about what happens when you build a life with your hands instead of a screen. I write here every week about the slow business of building a life that smells like sawdust, dirt and dinner.


Latest

Dispatch: Lovely legs, lovely pine, lovely crumble.

Four lovely leg blanks sit on the bench, joinery done, ready for the workshop doors to roll open on Monday. At last, a productive workshop week. The desk is Red Gum and, because of Australian milling standards, Red Gum simply

20 March 2026 · 2 min read min read

Dispatch: Lovely legs, lovely pine, lovely crumble. Dispatch: Lovely legs, lovely pine, lovely crumble. Essay: On Camping Essay: On Camping
The first time a chisel bit into a piece of timber the lie of the digital world was exposed.
Read the manifesto →

Essays

The longer pieces — the ones worth forwarding
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
Essay: Seventy-Four Posts
17 Feb 2026 · 4 min read min read

Dispatches

Notes from the workshop, the kitchen, and the table
Dispatch: Lovely legs, lovely pine, lovely crumble.
20 Mar 2026
Dispatch: Templates, Spectres, and Saturday Prep
6 Mar 2026
Dispatch: A Dropped Pie, a Self-Portrait and New Residents
27 Feb 2026

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