Sitting down on the job never felt so good!
Windsor Chairs have long been celebrated for their timeless elegance, exceptional comfort and remarkable durability. First crafted in England over 300 years ago by wagon wheelwrights, the craft travelled through America before reaching Australia in the late 1800s.
Today, the tradition lives on in a quiet workshop in the Byron Bay hinterland. Inside the sunlit shed, a multitude of age-old traditional hand tools line tin walls. There, chairmaker Will Burke works, alongside his dog Larry, slowly adding to the fallen tangle of shavings as he patiently handcarves bespoke spindles. The beginnings of one of his inspired sackback chairs gradually takes form beside him.
The graceful lines of each chair’s spindle rails, the flowing curves of the steam-bent arches, the hand-sculpted seat all combine to create pieces that are as beautiful to look at as they are to sit in.
For Will, Windsor chairmaking is more than a craft – it is a philosophy grounded in patience, sustainability and respect for traditional methods. “Every aspect of Windsor Chairmaking sings to my soul – from working beautiful, sustainable timbers with handmade tools that will outlive me, to the meticulous process that cannot be rushed, through to the finished chair” says Will.
Meet Will at the Heritage Makers Fair – and pull up a chair!
wburkechairmaker.com.au @wburkechairmaker
