The Heavy Life

I'm Jake Lunniss. I make furniture by hand in a small workshop in Ocean Grove — Ming Dynasty joinery in Australian timbers, marquetry, and whatever else takes too long. I write here about the foolhardy business of doing it all the hard way.


Latest

Brush Notes: 450 years and still standing.

A recent commission brief caused a few disparate memories to crash into each other in my mind and the penny finally dropped about things I've been thinking about, forgotten about, intended to do and forgotten I wanted to.

15 April 2026 · 1 min read min read

Brush Notes: 450 years and still standing. Brush Notes: 450 years and still standing. Dispatch: Roy's Micrometer
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: 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

Notes from the workshop.
Dispatch: Roy's Micrometer
11 Apr 2026
Delayed Dispatch: Death of a Chicken
5 Apr 2026
Dispatch: Headwinds
27 Mar 2026

Stay close to the work