Reasons to be chairful at Dalston’s School of Stuff

Discussing craft-work at the School of Stuff

Dalston may have spawned an entire genre of resident artists in the last couple of years, but a studio housing a craft school – and a really good one at that – was always going to be a conversation starter.

School of Stuff runs classes in upholstery, cabinet making and furniture in a studio on Shacklewell Lane. Designed to discourage disposing, it is all about upcycled, once loved furniture that would otherwise be thrown away.

Founded by upholstery teacher Amanda Girling-Budd, School of Stuff has been going for ten years, offering courses in furniture restoration, upholstery, and cabinet making.

Students work with professional practitioners, and bringing your own projects to the table is highly recommended. She explains: “We are in the process of  planning family workshops with printing and lino cutting. It’s such an interesting space for kids and adults to play in.”

The exhibition ‘100 Chairs in 100 days’ by Italian designer Martino Gamper is the inspiration for the school’s latest weekend course.

Deconstruct-Reconstruct involves reconfiguring bits of disused and broken furniture, such as bike seats and aged trinkets, to create other usable objects. On my visit, the tables and school vault were stocked high in potential objects to reclaim and revamp.

No doubt in a bid to restore harmony to the world of discarded objects, course places are booking up fast.

Girling-Budd explains: “We are building a community of people who do course after course. We are an ever-expanding bunch of students – our core students show up for everything.”

More information is available at schoolofstuff.co.uk.