Yours For The Making with Robin Johnson

Robin Johnson sits down with Christopher Kentish and Oliver Reimann, the co-founders of Frontier Oak, a bespoke green oak timber framing company based in Sussex. Chris came to the craft after a career in film production, introduced to it through his father-in-law's green oak company. Ollie, who studied advertising and marketing and met Chris at the age of 13, joined him in 2018 after working in production and photography. Together they have built Frontier Oak from the ground up, taking on everything from residential extensions, orangeries, and garden rooms to three-bay garages and contemporary pottery studios. Their ethos is straightforward: 100% bespoke, fully handcrafted, and managed end-to-end from groundworks to final finish.

In this episode they talk honestly about what it takes to run a small craft business, why they refuse CNC machines, how they handle green oak's unique challenges, what the future of timber framing looks like, and why they are planning to take on apprentices to keep the craft alive.

Key Topics Covered

1. What green oak timber framing actually involves and why it has been done the same way for hundreds of years
2. How Chris and Ollie each found their way into the trade from completely unrelated careers
3. The bread and butter of Frontier Oak's work: residential extensions, orangeries, garden rooms and standalone buildings
4. Why green oak clients are a different type of customer and what drives them to choose timber over brick and mortar
5. The environmental case for green oak construction and the barriers to using fully sustainable building materials
6. The technical challenge of working with green oak: movement, tolerances, pre-fitting frames and getting them to site fast
7. How CAD design fits into a traditional craft workflow without compromising the handmade approach
8. Plans for oak framing workshops and apprenticeships, and the responsibility of passing the craft to the next generation
9. The unwritten rules around apprentices in traditional trades like thatching and farriery

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Leave a review, follow us, and share the episode with a fellow maker. New episodes every week with artists, designers, craftsmen and creators from around the world.

Yours for the Making with Robin Johnson is the podcast that celebrates creativity, craftsmanship, and the art of making. Hosted by Robin Johnson — founder of Johnson Bespoke and BBC presenter on The Travelling Auctioneers, The Restorers, Woodland Workshop — this podcast dives into the stories of makers from all walks of life. From woodworkers, metal fabricators, and chefs to artists, designers, and hobbyists, each episode offers real conversations with the people behind the things we love.

Whether you're a hands-on creative, aspiring artisan, or simply curious about how things are made, this podcast offers inspiration, insight, and practical wisdom. Expect behind-the-scenes stories, lessons in process and passion, and a celebration of the maker movement in all its forms.

Subscribe now and follow Yours for the Making wherever you listen to your favourite podcasts.

Key Moments:

00:00 Robin introduces Chris and Ollie and frames green oak framing as the craft every woodworker imagines

00:31 Chris fell into oak framing after film production, starting with two weeks helping his father-in-law

01:24 Ollie and Chris met at 13, both ended up in production and photography before Ollie joined the tools in 2018

08:25 The bread and butter of Frontier Oak: extensions, conservatories, garden rooms, garages and orangeries

11:53 The stigma around timber-framed buildings in the UK mortgage market and the environmental case for greener building materials

21:38 Modern volume house building versus Frontier Oak's ethos: quality over quantity on structures built to last centuries

31:59 Why Frontier Oak will not use CNC machines and why handcrafted frames are the whole point

35:20 How they manage green oak movement: pre-fitting every frame in the workshop before getting it to site fast

41:44 The honest reality of running a small business: admin, late nights and the gap between production time and everything else

50:33 Why managing all subcontractors from groundworks to plastering is their biggest challenge and their biggest selling point

57:11 The best part of the job: watching clients see their frame go up for the first time

1:07:14 Why passing the craft on is a real responsibility and their plans to take on an apprentice next year

1:11:15 Advice to their 18-year-old selves: use your 20s to try things rather than committing too early to the wrong path

Robin Johnson sits down with Jeff McGurty, founder and owner of D&P Upholstery in Gateshead, one of the North East's most established bespoke upholstery businesses. Jeff built his company from a one-man band operating out of evenings and weekends into a seven-person team with a brand new, five times larger workshop in Team Valley. In this episode, Jeff and Robin pull back the curtain on the upholstery trade: a craft that is simultaneously a dark art, a dying art, and a business full of genuine opportunity for those who approach it with curiosity and commercial instinct.

They cover the nuts and bolts of running a split commercial and domestic upholstery operation, the frustrations of dealing with premium fabric suppliers, the smart play of building a client base through interior designers, and the calculated growth decisions that took Jeff from moonlighting in a small unit to leading a team and developing a new product range under his own brand, Forme. If you work in the trades, run a craft business, or simply love hearing how skilled makers build real businesses from raw skill, this episode delivers.

Key Topics Covered

1. The realities of running a bespoke upholstery business in the UK today
2. Why targeting interior designers is one of the smartest growth strategies in the trades
3. The frustrations of dealing with high-end fabric suppliers and why cheaper fabrics often outperform expensive ones
4. How Jeff grew DNP Upholstery by buying an existing business, retaining its staff, and scaling it up
5. The role of AI visualisation software in transforming how designers and clients spec upholstery projects
6. The modular sofa system that allows Jeff to offer 20 different designs without building 20 different sofas
7. The honest truth about taking on apprentices and the rising cost of employing people
8. Why hiring a floor manager was the single biggest change that unlocked business growth
9. The decline of British furniture manufacturing and what the upholstery trade looks like today
10. Plans for upholstery workshops open to the public and why they double as a powerful marketing tool
11. Jeff's advice for anyone wanting to get into upholstery as a career

Enjoying the show?

Leave a review, follow us, and share the episode with a fellow maker. New episodes every week with artists, designers, craftsmen and creators from around the world.

Yours for the Making with Robin Johnson is the podcast that celebrates creativity, craftsmanship, and the art of making. Hosted by Robin Johnson — founder of Johnson Bespoke and BBC presenter on The Travelling Auctioneers, The Restorers, Woodland Workshop — this podcast dives into the stories of makers from all walks of life. From woodworkers, metal fabricators, and chefs to artists, designers, and hobbyists, each episode offers real conversations with the people behind the things we love.

Whether you're a hands-on creative, aspiring artisan, or simply curious about how things are made, this podcast offers inspiration, insight, and practical wisdom. Expect behind-the-scenes stories, lessons in process and passion, and a celebration of the maker movement in all its forms.

Subscribe now and follow Yours for the Making wherever you listen to your favourite podcasts.

Key Moments:

00:00 Robin introduces Jeff McGurty and opens with the idea of upholstery as a dark art, hidden craft work that disguises whatever sits beneath it

01:30 Jeff breaks down the 50/50 split between domestic re-upholstery and commercial bespoke seating, and how subcontracting frame-making keeps the operation lean

02:35 The pair dig into the absurdity of dealing with premium fabric suppliers: week-long quotes, discontinued stock, and bureaucratic trade account processes that slow down real work

04:12 Jeff compares expensive fabrics to designer brands and explains why mid-range fabrics with strong rub-test results often do a better job

05:59 Jeff's origin story: Sports Science, two weeks of work experience as a PE teacher, and a summer job that changed everything

08:11 The business decision that shaped Jeff's early growth: building relationships with interior designers rather than chasing direct-to-consumer work

11:49 How Jeff ended up working above one of his interior designer clients, and the move that eventually led him to buy DNP Upholstery from its retiring founders Derek and Pam

14:55 Jeff reveals the new modular sofa range being developed under the Form brand, including AI-powered fabric visualisation software built for trade-only use

18:11 The clever modular arm system that lets Jeff show 20 distinct sofa designs using a single seat and back unit with interchangeable arms

21:07 Robin's honest account of buying a sofa online and why he will never do it again

23:39 The best cushion filling? Jeff argues for a foam core with a feather wrap: structure without the sag

24:27 Jeff's most unusual project: a Chesterfield sofa made entirely from Paul Collingwood's cricket jerseys, each diamond panel featuring a different team badge

27:29 Why employing people remains the hardest part of running the business, and what went wrong with previous apprentices

29:08 A frank conversation about rising National Insurance contributions, minimum wage pressures, and the real cost of employment for small trade businesses

33:52 The turning point: bringing on a business manager freed Jeff from admin and let him focus entirely on pricing and growth

40:57 Introducing Forme: Jeff's new consumer brand, built around a British racing green and gold identity, with a trade website and AI fabric visualisation tool

43:16 Jeff's advice for anyone wanting to get into upholstery: knock on doors, find the local hot spots, and stay curious

50:43 Why TV programmes like The Repair Shop have helped raise public awareness and appreciation of upholstery as a craft

51:06 Jeff announces plans for monthly public upholstery workshops at the new Team Valley premises

Robin Johnson speaks with furniture designer Katie Walker and designer Charlie Dedman about the collaboration behind Meon Furniture and the realities of modern British furniture making. The conversation explores design for manufacture, steam bending ash timber, CNC machining, sustainable forestry and the business decisions behind heirloom furniture. They discuss the shift from studio craft to batch production, the value of workshop knowledge, and the importance of constant product improvement through feedback and testing. The episode also examines the role of British timber, the impact of ash dieback on forestry, and the challenge of building furniture that will last for decades rather than years.

Key Topics Covered

1. Furniture design collaboration between Katie Walker and Charlie Dedman
2. The launch and vision of the Meon Furniture brand
3. Steam bending ash timber in chair making
4. Design for manufacture and batch production
5. CNC machining in modern furniture workshops
6. British ash timber and the impact of ash dieback
7. Sustainable furniture production and responsible forestry
8. B Corp certification and ethical manufacturing
9. Furniture product development and continuous improvement
10. The difference between studio craft and commercial manufacturing
11. Building heirloom furniture designed to last generations

Enjoying the show?

Leave a review, follow us, and share the episode with a fellow maker. New episodes every week with artists, designers, craftsmen and creators from around the world.

Yours for the Making with Robin Johnson is the podcast that celebrates creativity, craftsmanship, and the art of making. Hosted by Robin Johnson — founder of Johnson Bespoke and BBC presenter on The Travelling Auctioneers, The Restorers, Woodland Workshop — this podcast dives into the stories of makers from all walks of life. From woodworkers, metal fabricators, and chefs to artists, designers, and hobbyists, each episode offers real conversations with the people behind the things we love.

Whether you're a hands-on creative, aspiring artisan, or simply curious about how things are made, this podcast offers inspiration, insight, and practical wisdom. Expect behind-the-scenes stories, lessons in process and passion, and a celebration of the maker movement in all its forms.

Subscribe now and follow Yours for the Making wherever you listen to your favourite podcasts.

Key Moments:

00:00 Introduction to Katie Walker and Charlie Dedman

01:23 Origins of the Meon Furniture collaboration

02:15 Katie Walker’s design education and Royal College background

07:23 Designing furniture for CNC manufacture

10:33 Learning woodworking skills through hands on training

13:48 Steam bending ash timber for chair design

17:21 Why ash timber is used for interior furniture

18:52 British ash, forestry and ash dieback

23:17 The history and reputation of Gaze Burvill furniture

29:11 Designing joinery that reduces manufacturing time

31:33 Designing sculptural furniture versus designing for production

37:35 Product development and improving furniture over time

41:27 Designing heirloom furniture built to last generations

45:26 Launch strategy for Meon Furniture

49:12 Why chair making is one of the hardest furniture disciplines

50:48 Advice to younger designers entering the craft industry

In this episode of Yours for the Making, Robin Johnson speaks with Barnaby Ash and Dru Plumb of Plumb and Ash about their rise from garage woodturning to exhibiting at TEFAF New York. They discuss Greco Roman influences, sculptural wood vessels, working with green oak, embracing cracks and stitch work, targeting high end galleries, and building a profitable craft business through strategy, research and relentless refinement.

Key Topics Covered

• Woodturning and contemporary wood sculpture

• Greco Roman classicism and design history influence

• Storytelling in art and craft practice

• Working with green oak, cracks and natural movement

• Stitching wood vessels and visible mending techniques

• Transition from craft fairs to international art fairs

• Targeting high end galleries and collectors

• Pricing strategy and value in the art market

• Creative partnership and studio roles

• Burnout, pressure and creative flow state

• Building a sustainable craft business in the UK

• Future plans including blacksmithing and workshop expansion

Enjoying the show?

Leave a review, follow us, and share the episode with a fellow maker. New episodes every week with artists, designers, craftsmen and creators from around the world.

Yours for the Making with Robin Johnson is the podcast that celebrates creativity, craftsmanship, and the art of making. Hosted by Robin Johnson — founder of Johnson Bespoke and BBC presenter on The Travelling Auctioneers, The Restorers, Woodland Workshop — this podcast dives into the stories of makers from all walks of life. From woodworkers, metal fabricators, and chefs to artists, designers, and hobbyists, each episode offers real conversations with the people behind the things we love.

Whether you're a hands-on creative, aspiring artisan, or simply curious about how things are made, this podcast offers inspiration, insight, and practical wisdom. Expect behind-the-scenes stories, lessons in process and passion, and a celebration of the maker movement in all its forms.

Subscribe now and follow Yours for the Making wherever you listen to your favourite podcasts.

Key Moments:

00:00 Introduction to Plumb and Ash and their sculptural woodturning

01:06 Greco Roman influences and design research

03:17 Storytelling, symbolism and emotional impact in sculpture

08:46 Starting out with a second hand lathe and garage workshop

16:18 Moving from functional objects to sculptural vessels

17:48 Targeting high end galleries and strategic growth

22:24 Pressure, ambition and creative risk

25:01 Division of roles in a creative partnership

27:32 Working with green oak, cracks and stitched repairs

34:55 Complex sculptural handles and pushing technical limits

38:43 Milestones including Collect, museum acquisitions and TEFAF

51:13 Plans for a new woodland workshop

56:05 Burnout, deadlines and creative obsession

59:51 Making work that feels beyond your own ability

01:00:57 Advice to their eighteen year old selves

In this episode of Yours for the Making, Robin Johnson speaks with Brandon Collins of Crabtree and Hargreeves about building a profitable bespoke kitchen and furniture business in the UK. Brandon shares how he transitioned from antique restoration with his father into high end bespoke kitchens, how he named his company for brand positioning and search clarity, and why hand painted finishes outperform spray finishes in durability and long term maintenance.

He explains how investing in CNC machinery and Cabinet Vision software improved accuracy, efficiency and client communication, and he discusses pricing, managing growth, recruiting skilled cabinet makers and protecting craftsmanship in a technology driven world.

This episode will resonate with furniture makers, joiners, kitchen designers, cabinet makers and small workshop owners who want practical insight into scaling a bespoke furniture business while maintaining quality and creative control.

Key Topics Covered

• Transition from antique restoration to bespoke kitchens

• Brand naming strategy for cabinet makers and furniture businesses

• Hand painted kitchen finishes versus spray finishes

• CNC machines in small woodworking workshops

• Using Cabinet Vision software for cabinetry design and production

• Growth challenges in bespoke furniture businesses

• Pricing, margins and workshop efficiency

• Skills gap in cabinet making and joinery

• Human judgement in bespoke craftsmanship

• Client expectations in high end kitchen design

Enjoying the show?

Leave a review, follow us, and share the episode with a fellow maker. New episodes every week with artists, designers, craftsmen and creators from around the world.

Yours for the Making with Robin Johnson is the podcast that celebrates creativity, craftsmanship, and the art of making. Hosted by Robin Johnson — founder of Johnson Bespoke and BBC presenter on The Travelling Auctioneers, The Restorers, Woodland Workshop — this podcast dives into the stories of makers from all walks of life. From woodworkers, metal fabricators, and chefs to artists, designers, and hobbyists, each episode offers real conversations with the people behind the things we love.

Whether you're a hands-on creative, aspiring artisan, or simply curious about how things are made, this podcast offers inspiration, insight, and practical wisdom. Expect behind-the-scenes stories, lessons in process and passion, and a celebration of the maker movement in all its forms.

Subscribe now and follow Yours for the Making wherever you listen to your favourite podcasts.

Key Moments:

00:00 Brand Origin and Business Evolution

03:25 Transition from Antiques to Bespoke Furniture

06:26 Challenges and Opportunities in the Furniture Industry

15:27 Hand-Painted Finishes and Quality Control

24:32 Technological Advancements and Efficiency

55:24 The Role of Technology in Bridging Skills Gaps

55:47 The Importance of Creativity and Craftsmanship

56:05 The Future of the Furniture Industry

56:26 Advice for Aspiring Furniture Makers

01:00:21 Final Thoughts and Contact Information

Robin Johnson speaks with Louis Rhoades of Louis Rhoades Studio about scaling a bespoke joinery business from a one man workshop to a structured, design led studio. They break down pricing to the penny, profitability between two and four staff, why growth from four to ten is brutal, and how value beats cost when you invest in CNC, spray finishing and FUGA Hydro substrates.

This episode tackles hospitality versus residential work, outsourcing risk, honest client communication, proportion in design, and the stress that comes with ambition. A direct conversation between two workshop owners on craftsmanship, margins, ethics and long term thinking in British furniture making.

Key Topics Covered

1. Scaling from solo maker to small team
2. Profitability at two to four staff versus four to ten
3. Day rate calculation using fixed and variable overheads
4. Hospitality niche versus high end residential pricing
5. Value versus cost in bespoke joinery
6. CNC machining, solid edge banding and spray booth investment
7. Hydro Fuga MDF and veneered construction
8. Design first process and shop drawings
9. Outsourcing risk and quality control
10. Proportion, symmetry and timeless furniture design
11. Stress, cash flow fear and business resilience

Enjoying the show?

Leave a review, follow us, and share the episode with a fellow maker. New episodes every week with artists, designers, craftsmen and creators from around the world.

Yours for the Making with Robin Johnson is the podcast that celebrates creativity, craftsmanship, and the art of making. Hosted by Robin Johnson — founder of Johnson Bespoke and BBC presenter on The Travelling Auctioneers, The Restorers, Woodland Workshop — this podcast dives into the stories of makers from all walks of life. From woodworkers, metal fabricators, and chefs to artists, designers, and hobbyists, each episode offers real conversations with the people behind the things we love.

Whether you're a hands-on creative, aspiring artisan, or simply curious about how things are made, this podcast offers inspiration, insight, and practical wisdom. Expect behind-the-scenes stories, lessons in process and passion, and a celebration of the maker movement in all its forms.

Subscribe now and follow Yours for the Making wherever you listen to your favourite podcasts.

Key Moments:

00:00 Scaling from one man workshop to small team

04:25 Why employing friends rarely works

08:09 Hospitality versus residential pricing realities

11:07 Value proposition and stepping away from tenders

24:58 Outsourcing failures and bringing processes in house

30:12 Investing in CNC and spray finishing for output and control

33:57 Calculating day rates and defining real value

45:15 Design ethics, legacy and avoiding disposable furniture

01:01:12 Hydro Fuga, veneering and modern wardrobe design

01:17:42 Craft standards, minor defects and client honesty

01:21:37 Advice to a younger self on stress and growth

In this episode of Yours for the Making Robin Johnson speaks with Louisa Pacifico, founder of Future Icons about how makers turn skill into a viable business without undercutting their value. Louisa explains why premium craft succeeds through fewer higher value sales rather than volume, and why many artisans struggle because they price emotionally rather than commercially.

The conversation covers gallery relationships, press strategy licensing contracts and the importance of knowing when to say no. Louisa also discusses her role curating Future Icons Selects during London Craft Week and how makers should approach shows with clarity, purpose and realistic expectations. This episode offers practical insight for craftspeople who want longevity rather than noise.

Key Topics Covered

1. What Future Icons does for established makers
2. Pricing premium craft correctly
3. Understanding audience and market fit
4. Fewer sales higher margins business model
5. Why saying no protects long term value
6. Gallery introductions and exhibition strategy
7. Licensing work with international brands
8. Legal contracts and intellectual property
9. Press coverage and media positioning
10. Apprenticeships internships and education routes
11. Funding grants and bursaries for makers
12. Curating Future Icons Selects for London Craft Week

Enjoying the show?

Leave a review, follow us, and share the episode with a fellow maker. New episodes every week with artists, designers, craftsmen and creators from around the world.

Yours for the Making with Robin Johnson is the podcast that celebrates creativity, craftsmanship, and the art of making. Hosted by Robin Johnson — founder of Johnson Bespoke and BBC presenter on The Travelling Auctioneers, The Restorers, Woodland Workshop — this podcast dives into the stories of makers from all walks of life. From woodworkers, metal fabricators, and chefs to artists, designers, and hobbyists, each episode offers real conversations with the people behind the things we love.

Whether you're a hands-on creative, aspiring artisan, or simply curious about how things are made, this podcast offers inspiration, insight, and practical wisdom. Expect behind-the-scenes stories, lessons in process and passion, and a celebration of the maker movement in all its forms.

Subscribe now and follow Yours for the Making wherever you listen to your favourite podcasts.

Key Moments:

00:00 What Future Icons does and why it exists

03:00 Pricing problems in the craft sector

08:44 Knowing when not to do a show

15:27 Value based pricing versus cheap tenders

20:20 Learning business by doing

24:55 Funding education and apprenticeships

34:52 Curating Future Icons Selects

42:08 Regional buyers and gallery strategy

50:46 Advice to young makers

52:10 How to contact Louisa & Future Icons

In this episode of Yours for the Making, Robin Johnson speaks with Marina Dragomirova and Iain Howlett, founders of Studio Furthermore about their Moon Rock Project and the long road of material driven design. They explain how six years of experimentation led to an aluminium foam made from recycled car wheels and how that material became a cabinet unveiled in Miami that shocked audiences when opened.

The conversation covers material failure, foundry collaboration, storytelling in collectible design and the limits of photography in conveying physical work. Marina and Iain also discuss gallery relationships, sustainability futurism and their next chapter working with Japanese craftsmen on laminated plywood furniture. This episode offers a clear view of how new materials become meaningful objects through patience, research and conviction.

Key Topics Covered

1. The Moon Rock Project and aluminium foam development
2. Using recycled car wheels as raw material
3. Designing furniture through material research
4. Creating shock and transformation through form
5. Foundry collaboration and long term partnerships
6. Pushing thinness scale and structural limits
7. Art furniture fairs and collector audiences
8. Storytelling in collectible design
9. Sustainability futurism and science driven aesthetics
10. Working with galleries and curators
11. The limits of photography and the need for physical experience
12. New work with Japanese craftsmen and plywood furniture

Enjoying the show?

Leave a review, follow us, and share the episode with a fellow maker. New episodes every week with artists, designers, craftsmen and creators from around the world.

Yours for the Making with Robin Johnson is the podcast that celebrates creativity, craftsmanship, and the art of making. Hosted by Robin Johnson — founder of Johnson Bespoke and BBC presenter on The Travelling Auctioneers, The Restorers, Woodland Workshop — this podcast dives into the stories of makers from all walks of life. From woodworkers, metal fabricators, and chefs to artists, designers, and hobbyists, each episode offers real conversations with the people behind the things we love.

Whether you're a hands-on creative, aspiring artisan, or simply curious about how things are made, this podcast offers inspiration, insight, and practical wisdom. Expect behind-the-scenes stories, lessons in process and passion, and a celebration of the maker movement in all its forms.

Subscribe now and follow Yours for the Making wherever you listen to your favourite podcasts.

Key Moments:

00:00 Introducing Studio Furthermore and Moon Rock

03:58 The Miami cabinet and the shock reveal

07:01 Foundry collaboration and process control

13:11 Scaling up and thinking beyond furniture

20:38 Early ceramic foam experiments

35:10 RCA influence and material research

46:18 Storytelling and selling collectible design

1:01:19 Working with Japanese craftsmen

1:08:27 Failure as fuel for new ideas

1:10:19 Why physical galleries still matter

In this episode of Yours for the Making Robin Johnson speaks with Steve Briggs, founder of Briggs and Sons Masonry about conservation led stone masonry and the realities of scaling a heritage business. Steve explains why retaining original fabric matters, how church and listed building work demands restraint and judgement, and why replacement comes last. The conversation covers running a contracting arm alongside a consultancy for listed homes, navigating consent and surveys, training the next generation, and choosing culture and quality over rapid turnover. This episode offers a grounded view of craft led growth in the UK heritage sector.

Key Topics Covered

1. Church restoration and heritage conservation
2. Retaining original fabric in historic buildings
3. Stone masonry brickwork leadwork and roofs
4. Listed building consents surveys and maintenance plans
5. Running contracting and consultancy businesses together
6. Rejecting short term fixes in favour of longevity
7. Training trainees and paying for learning time
8. Scaling from small teams to sustainable growth
9. Protecting company culture during expansion
10. Customer care over chasing turnover
11. Learning craft through family and experience
12. The future of heritage skills in the UK

Enjoying the show?

Leave a review, follow us, and share the episode with a fellow maker. New episodes every week with artists, designers, craftsmen and creators from around the world.

Yours for the Making with Robin Johnson is the podcast that celebrates creativity, craftsmanship, and the art of making. Hosted by Robin Johnson — founder of Johnson Bespoke and BBC presenter on The Travelling Auctioneers, The Restorers, Woodland Workshop — this podcast dives into the stories of makers from all walks of life. From woodworkers, metal fabricators, and chefs to artists, designers, and hobbyists, each episode offers real conversations with the people behind the things we love.

Whether you're a hands-on creative, aspiring artisan, or simply curious about how things are made, this podcast offers inspiration, insight, and practical wisdom. Expect behind-the-scenes stories, lessons in process and passion, and a celebration of the maker movement in all its forms.

Subscribe now and follow Yours for the Making wherever you listen to your favourite podcasts.

Key Moments:

00:00 Introducing Steve Briggs and conservation masonry

02:10 Keeping original fabric wherever possible

05:40 Church restoration realities

09:15 Running contracting and consultancy work

13:30 Listed building consents and surveys

18:45 Scaling teams and managing growth pain

24:20 Training trainees properly

30:05 Culture over turnover

35:40 Learning craft through family

41:10 Sustainability in heritage businesses

46:30 Attracting the next generation

In this episode of Yours for the Making Robin Johnson speaks with Robin Redmile-Gordon, Director of Ichi-Coo Park, about building a life shaped by creativity and long term thinking. Robin shares how transforming Russ Hill Farm into a vast garden and living artwork helped him stay sane while running a global IT company. The conversation moves through craftsmanship collaboration and why clear briefs unlock exceptional work from skilled people. Robin offers a blunt critique of modern education and exam driven learning, argues for apprenticeships rooted in real work, and explains why holistic learning matters more than qualifications.

Robin also discusses AI as a practical tool for thinking diagnosis and productivity, shares his experience of living with terminal blood cancer and the role of Turkey Tail mushrooms, and outlines ideas for a future where skills, purpose and creativity matter more than bureaucracy. This episode challenges conventional thinking and defends making as a meaningful way to live.

Key Topics Covered

1. Building Itchy Park as a living artwork
2. Long term collaboration with craftspeople
3. Value over cost in bespoke work
4. Clear briefs and creative freedom
5. Gardening as a form of art
6. Escaping stress through making and landscape
7. Apprenticeships and skills based learning
8. Failures of exam focused education
9. Holistic learning and curiosity driven teaching
10. Teaching through real work not theory
11. AI as a practical tool for thinking and diagnosis
12. Critique of fear around artificial intelligence
13. Living with terminal blood cancer
14. Turkey Tail mushrooms and blood health

1. Purpose identity and creating meaningful work
2. Clip Fest and community making events

Enjoying the show?

Leave a review, follow us, and share the episode with a fellow maker. New episodes every week with artists, designers, craftsmen and creators from around the world.

Yours for the Making with Robin Johnson is the podcast that celebrates creativity, craftsmanship, and the art of making. Hosted by Robin Johnson — founder of Johnson Bespoke and BBC presenter on The Travelling Auctioneers, The Restorers, Woodland Workshop — this podcast dives into the stories of makers from all walks of life. From woodworkers, metal fabricators, and chefs to artists, designers, and hobbyists, each episode offers real conversations with the people behind the things we love.

Whether you're a hands-on creative, aspiring artisan, or simply curious about how things are made, this podcast offers inspiration, insight, and practical wisdom. Expect behind-the-scenes stories, lessons in process and passion, and a celebration of the maker movement in all its forms.

Subscribe now and follow Yours for the Making wherever you listen to your favourite podcasts.

Key Moments:

00:00 Ichi-Coo Park and its origins

02:26 The heart shaped island story

05:19 Working with skilled craftspeople

07:57 Value over cost in making

12:14 Building to protect sanity

17:25 Apprenticeships and skills gaps

27:03 Holistic learning and curiosity

38:48 AI as a working tool

51:36 AI and health diagnosis

56:19 Living with blood cancer

1:06:39 Skills across generations

1:23:18 Clip Fest 2026