“Living in an ancient house holds stories, holds history. I often wonder how many trees have been burnt in the hearth since it was built …” says Rollo of the house he shares with his wife Freyja Lee and their children. It was previously owned by Rollo’s grandfather, who believed that it could be around a thousand years old. “I love to see the history, the markings of real people. That’s [also] what you see on my pieces. You’ll see the imperfection, the natural grain of the wood, the saw marks of the timber yard that planked up the wood.”
A trained cabinet maker and potter, over the years Rollo became known for his painstaking restorations of showman’s wagons from the 19th and early 20th centuries, as well as his work on one-off cabins, pavilions and architectural follies. More recently, his work has focused on crafting a series of thoughtful objects for the home, from hand-turned candlesticks to intricately carved dining tables. Rollo describes the process of carving repetitive patterns (a technique known as hand chip carving) as “like a meditation” to get lost in; a sentiment that is easily understood by observing the making of his pieces, their edges worked by hand into softened facets that gently catch the light. Inspired by travel, folk architecture and furniture, and “real things, made by real people,” Rollo’s objects are both beautiful and functional – designed to be lived with, and to become part of the rhythm of daily domestic life.
Further reading
Follow Rollo on Instagram; rollodunfordwood.co.uk
