Yours For The Making with Robin Johnson

In this solo episode of Yours for the Making, Robin Johnson answers three of the questions he gets asked most about building Johnson Bespoke: how the business grew, how he manages a team and clients, and how the company wins high value joinery projects. Robin shares how Johnson Bespoke expanded from himself and one employee to a team of 20 working across five workshops, with specialist facilities...

Monique Lucas is the founder and presenter of The New Makers TV, a YouTube series dedicated to telling the stories of British makers, craftspeople and independent creative businesses. After working across interiors, homeware, textiles and content, Monique created The New Makers to give craftspeople a platform to show how their work is actually made and why it matters. In this episode of Yours for...

Interior designer Christian Bense joins Robin Johnson to explore how thoughtful interior design balances architecture, art, history and the personality of the people who live there. Christian shares his journey from South Africa to London, launching Christian Bense Interior Studio shortly before Covid and building a practice recognised by House & Garden. He explains why his studio avoids a fix...

Robin Johnson sits down with woodwork artist Olly Fathers to explore how traditional marquetry, wood veneer and painstaking hand cutting become contemporary geometric art. Olly shares his path from studying fine art and working as an art technician to developing a full time studio practice with his wife, Emma. He explains how years spent installing major artworks, experimenting with woodworking an...

What makes a building work for the people who actually use it? Robin Johnson sits down with Michael Westlake and Alex Taylor of Supervene Architects to explore architecture, masterplanning and the realities of designing places that have to work for generations. From the seven year route to becoming an architect to navigating budgets, planning, construction problems and the Building Safety Act, Mic...

British session drummer and producer George Macdonald , known as G-Mac, joins Robin Johnson for a deeply personal conversation about life as a professional musician, leaving Kid Kapichi, creative identity, meditation, mental health, flow state and starting again. George traces his journey from discovering drums as a teenager in Hastings to touring the world, playing major venues and building a car...

Interior designer Nicky Percival joins Robin Johnson to explore what professional interior design really involves, from transforming Georgian country houses and period properties to managing builders, architects, budgets and complex renovation schedules. Drawing on more than 35 years of design experience, including theatre design and television at the BBC, Nicky explains how she creates homes that...

Master joiner Tom has spent more than 20 years developing the precision, problem solving and traditional skills behind bespoke joinery. In this episode of Yours for the Making , Robin Johnson speaks with Tom Cottington about his journey from furniture restoration and demanding apprenticeships to complex architectural joinery at Johnson Bespoke. Tom shares lessons from restoring period furniture, l...

After 24 years in fashion, Sophie changed direction and built Côte de Folk from scratch, eventually earning recognition from House and Garden. In this episode of Yours for the Making , Sophie Rowell joins Robin Johnson to discuss career reinvention, renovating period properties, working with architects and craftspeople, and designing homes around how people actually live. She also shares why renov...

What does it take to turn a tired country hotel into a destination people genuinely want to return to? In this episode of Yours for the Making , Robin Johnson sits down with Chris King , founder of Crafted, to explore the transformation of PowderMills in Battle, East Sussex. Set around a seven acre lake on the site of a former gunpowder mill, Crafted brings together boutique hospitality, bold inte...

What separates true bespoke joinery from furniture that has simply been made to measure? In this solo Q&A episode of Yours for the Making, Robin Johnson answers the questions he receives most often about bespoke joinery, cabinet making, luxury interiors and running a successful joinery business. Robin explains how every detail is considered in bespoke projects, why traditional craftsmanship st...

How does someone leave a career as a patent attorney to become a furniture maker? In this episode of Yours for the Making , Robin Johnson sits down with furniture designer and maker Theo Silkstone to explore his unconventional journey from studying Material Science at Oxford to building sculptural furniture inspired by nature. Theo shares how renovating a cottage during lockdown changed the direct...

Gareth Neal joins Robin Johnson to discuss his career as a furniture maker and designer, his approach to sculptural furniture and the realities of building a creative career around craft, art and design. Gareth shares how an influential teacher encouraged him to study furniture design and craftsmanship, how life in Hackney Wick shaped his work and how pieces including the Anne Table, George Chest...

What does it take to build one of Britain's most exciting independent restaurants from scratch? In this episode of Yours for the Making , Robin Johnson sits down with Jack Lury , chef and owner of Lury Restaurant in Hastings, to explore the reality behind modern fine dining, Michelin ambitions, restaurant ownership and creative cooking. Jack shares his unconventional journey from studying history...

What does it take to restore priceless antiques without erasing their history? Robin Johnson sits down with Rodrigo Tizzano of Titian Studio, one of Britain's leading restoration and decorative arts workshops. Rodrigo shares the story of a family business that has preserved historic furniture, architectural features and museum quality antiques for more than sixty years. From Buckingham Palace and...

What makes a titanium bicycle so special, and why are so few still built in Britain? In this episode of Yours for the Making, Robin Johnson sits down with Jim Walker , founder of Enigma Bicycle Works, to explore the craft, engineering and business of building world class titanium bicycle frames. Jim shares the story behind Enigma's mission to preserve British bicycle manufacturing, the challenges...

How does a sculptor build a successful career in luxury interiors, collectible design and contemporary craft? In this episode of Yours for the Making, Robin Johnson sits down with sculptor Tom Palmer to explore his journey from a childhood spent making things on a Sussex farm to creating acclaimed alabaster sculptures and bespoke pieces for interior designers, galleries and private clients around...

George Curl , founder of Aspects Bespoke, joins Robin Johnson to share the realities of building a successful bespoke furniture and cabinet making business. From painting and decorating jobs and handyman work to running a specialist workshop creating high end fitted furniture, George explains how practical experience, social media marketing, strong client relationships and continuous learning have...

What makes someone choose one creative business over another? In this episode of Yours for the Making, Robin Johnson sits down with filmmakers Sam Christmas and Agatha Appleton-Sas, founders of True Story, to explore the power of personal storytelling, brand films, creative identity and human connection. Sam and Agatha share how True Story was born during Covid from a desire to tell meaningful hum...

What does it take to build a barbershop that clients actively recommend, industry leaders recognise, and customers keep returning to? In this episode of Yours for the Making, Robin Johnson sits down with Maxwell Oakley , co founder of Supply 91 Barbers Extraordinaire, to explore how a small lockdown startup grew into one of London's most respected barbershop brands. Maxwell shares the story behind...

Potter Lulu Jacobs joins Robin Johnson to discuss leaving a career in branding and marketing to pursue pottery full time. Lulu shares how a short course at Turning Earth turned into a full creative obsession, leading her to build a pottery business from a garden studio while raising a young family. The conversation explores the emotional highs and crushing failures of ceramics, the reality of sell...

Helen Welch , founder of the London School of Furniture Making , joins Robin Johnson for a direct conversation about teaching craftsmanship, surviving as a maker, and why furniture making still attracts people desperate to work with their hands instead of staring at screens all day. Helen reflects on leaving school early, training as a carpenter and joiner in 1980s London, and eventually building...

Robin Johnson sits down with furniture maker and designer Simon Thomas Pirie to discuss the reality of building a long term creative business in Britain. Simon shares his journey from studying fine art and discovering woodworking through Hook Park, to running a respected bespoke furniture workshop in Dorset for nearly three decades. The conversation explores furniture design, apprenticeships, CNC...

Robin Johnson sits down with sisters Clara and Rose Prince to discuss studying furniture making and textile design, navigating creative careers, and building a future in craft. Clara studies furniture making at West Dean College while Rose focuses on weaving and textiles at Chelsea College. They speak openly about the realities of creative education, student debt, apprenticeships, networking, exhi...

Robin Johnson speaks with Oliver Chalk , a self taught wood turner who rebuilt his career during the pandemic by following curiosity rather than a fixed plan. Starting with climbing holds and basic tools, Oliver moved into large scale sculptural woodwork, developing his own techniques through repetition and failure. He explains why surface, texture, and emotional response drive his work, how inves...