Nine new freemen admitted

We are delighted to welcome nine new freemen to The Furniture Makers’ Company.

The new members, who represent different sectors in the wider furniture and furnishing industry, were admitted during a ceremony on 12 December at Furniture Makers’ Hall, London.

The nine new freemen declared their support to the Company, before signing the declaration and being personally welcomed by Amanda Waring, Master of The Furniture Makers’ Company.

Following the ceremony, the new freemen were invited to join other members and guests at our Christmas Mixer event.

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The new freemen are:

Jane Cleal, designer and tutor at Williams and Cleal Furniture

Jane is a furniture designer and tutor, having founding Williams and Cleal Furniture with her husband Justin in 1990 designing and making bespoke furniture. In 2007 they established a furniture school offering short courses through to a full time one year course in fine furniture design and making. Jane is an active member of the South West region committee and has been awarded several Bespoke Guild Marks.

Kersi Deboo, managing director at Distinction Contracts Ltd

Distinction Contracts Ltd manufactures and supplies bespoke contract furniture for hotels, serviced apartments and student accommodation.  They also stock and supply furniture to interior designers, property developers, show homes and online retailers.  Kersi is managing director and has responsibility for the day to day running of the company with a particular emphasis on sales, marketing and product development.

Matt Estlea, director and content creator at Estlea Creative Limited

Matt produces woodworking videos for YouTube that aim to capture the attention of people and get them interested in woodworking. From there he has created an on-boarding process called The Free Online Woodworking School to help people develop basic skills before moving on to furniture education or industry. 

Alastair Minus, designer-maker at Minus Fine Furniture

Trained at Rycotewood Furniture Centre, Alastair is now a designer and maker of high quality, handmade, heirloom furniture. He uses high quality materials and is committed to sustainable practices.  Alastair was awarded the recipient of one of the Master Certificate (Apprentice) awards earlier this year.

Marius Munteanu, compliance manager at Buoyant Upholstery Ltd

Buoyant Upholstery designs and manufacturers upholstered furniture, chairs, sofas and motion furniture, including sofa beds and recliners. Marius is the compliance manager and is involved in the entire produce lifecycle, including safety, legality, quality, product development, manufacturing and sustainability.

Elaine Palmer, director at Space Joinery and Interiors Ltd

Elaine is the owner and director of Space Joinery and Interiors, which provides bespoke joinery and manufacture for mainly high value residential projects for private clients and developers, including interior design, upholstery and accessories. Prior this Elaine worked both as a fashion designer and in interior furnishings.

Josh Ralton, commercial director at Agua Fabrics Ltd

Josh is commercial director for Agua fabrics, which manufactures and supplies performance upholstery fabrics for the commercial and contract markets. As the fourth generation of this family business Josh is responsible for the marketing, sales, direction and progression of the company, along with product development with the design team.

Gina Thomson, commercial director, and Dominic Thomson, cutter at George Stewart Design

George Stewart Design designs and manufactures all upholstered furniture including beds, as well as supplying interior designers with bespoke items.  Gina is currently commercial director, having had a long career in the furnishings industry, and her son Dominic is currently a cutter.