The Tissington Chair

Reclaimed | Handmade | One-of-a-Kind

"I used to line the changing rooms of a 1950s boxing club in East London - thick elm for the bench seat, ash backrests bolted to bare brick walls, and steel pegs overhead for gloves and coats. Years of wear, boot scuffs and chalk dust left their mark. Now I’ve been cut down, reshaped and reimagined - ready to hold my ground in quieter rooms."

Each Tissington Chair is handmade from reclaimed British elm and ash - both woods commonly used in mid-century utility furniture and sports fittings. Known for their durability and workhorse grain, they carry the no-nonsense practicality of the era they came from.

Our craftsman Florentin builds every piece by hand in Cumbria (with the help of his team). Legs are lathe-turned, then powder-coated black to echo the industrial fittings of the original benches. The seats and backs are hand-shaped, sanded, and finished in oil and wax to reveal each wood’s natural character.

In some chairs, you’ll notice signs of their former life: paint remnants, scuffs, or oxidised tones from decades of indoor use. These aren’t flaws - they’re artefacts of a story too good to sand away.

Only 110 Tissington Chairs have been made.

This is furniture that remembers where it came from - made to be used, and made to endure.

Please note: No two chairs are alike. Variations in grain, colour and finish are intentional, and part of what makes each Tissington Chair unique.