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14 Cottage St
Blackburn, VIC, 3130
Australia
0413 537 490
The Melbourne Guild of Fine Woodworking was founded by Alastair Boell in 2007. After graduating from the world renowned North Bennet Street School, Boston (USA) Alastair felt that there was a great need in Australia for an educational facility that focuses on traditional skills.
The Guild is committed to preserving and advancing craft traditions in furniture making. We are also committed to promoting a greater awareness and appreciation of
craftsmanship. In our classes we emphasize the skillful use of hand tools and power equipment and an informed use of appropriate materials. We are passionate about what we do and want to share information, ideas and skills with all our students young and old, from beginner to advanced.
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Alastair Boell was awarded a Bachelor of Education (Arts and Crafts) at Melbourne University, majoring in ‘Furniture Making’ in 1990. A month after graduating, he moved to Japan, where he taught English and made furniture for his own pleasure for eight years. While living there, he became heavily influenced by the Japanese design aesthetic.
Read MoreMoea graduated from Sturt School for Wood in Mittagong, NSW, in 2021. After a successful corporate career as an Analyst, she found balance in woodworking and fine furniture making, bringing together hand, head and heart.
As an artist and designer maker, her work is driven by a love of craftsmanship and of timber as a material. She explores both organic and geometric shapes in an attempt to create an emotional connection.
Mainly passionate by transferring his knowledge of traditional French woodworking and marquetry techniques, Lionel also believes that in this fast world of production it is sometimes important to stop and take the time to use, share and enjoy these old-style techniques when working with such a pure and fine material such as timber.
Read MoreLee has had a lifelong passion for learning and perfecting new skills. He has worked as a furniture maker overseas and in Australia for over 20 years. As well as furniture and cabinetry, Lee also handmakes guitars and ukuleles and steel bicycle frames.
Read MoreA chair maker by trade Peter Kruithof has spent over 25 years working in the boutique and commercial furniture industries. His experience covers contemporary/modern furniture, antique reproduction furniture, bar and restaurant furniture and fittings, shop fitting, furniture polishing and design. Currently as a furniture maker under his own banner he works closely with designers and customers to produce beautiful custom made pieces. He has also recently turned his hand to artisanal pipe making and has discovered a passion for the art of blending form, function and finishing that is required to produce a high grade pipe.
Georgie works with wood to create functional artworks, blurring the lines between sculpture, furniture and object. Georgie’s practice explores our relationship to our domestic belongings, aiming to foster greater intimacy with material matter through emphasising tactility and the sensorial experience.
In 2006 Zac completed a Bachelor of Fine Arts at Monash University with a major in silversmithing and jewellery. While pursuing this he became interested in working with timber. He went on to complete a Certificate II in Furniture Making before working both independently and for several other makers, until he got a job working for Pop and Scott - the Melbourne-based furniture and homewares business. He worked there for four years, spending most of his time there as head furniture maker. He produced the prototypes of new products and was also engaged in some of their design. He eft there in November 2019 to develop an independent practice.
Read MoreJohn commenced training as a cabinet-maker and soon after moved into timber furniture making. By completing a full-time course in fine furniture making at Coles School of Woodcraft, John continued to build upon his design and construction skills by gaining experience across the industry.
Read MoreComing from a background in music and architecture, Michael’s journey into furniture making was prompted by some ideas and interest that he had in instrument making (drums in particular). The study of furniture making seemed to be the most practical and logical step to acquire the necessary skills for wooden instrument making.Accordingly in 2014/15 Michael undertook a Certificate III in Cabinet and Furniture making at Holmesglen TAFE full-time.
Through participation in the Furniture Making course, he became more interested in the craft of furniture making itself and gained a great satisfaction and inspiration from the experience of working with wood.
Since 2016 Michael has been a full time furniture maker making furniture at Whelan, Westwood and Tide Designs.
Michael has entered pieces in the Student Craftsmanship category of Furnitex Awards in 2014 and 2015, both of which became finalist pieces and also received an award for Excellence in Craftsmanship at the Holmesglen TAFE Design Awards for 2014.
Read MoreDarren began learning his craft at The Guild with Alistair in 2014. Five years later, his desire to make could no longer be contained. He closed the doors of his architecture practice and moved to Mittagong in NSW, to undertake the year long course at The Sturt School for Wood.
Read MoreMike’s furniture making career started at the Guild in 2016. Working with mentors during weekly open classes and speciality classes, particularly in Windsor chairmaking, have been a personal highlight and inspired him to build his own workshop and tool collection. Mike favours Shaker and Mid Century design, and loves the lines created in American Windsor chair design.
In 2016 Mark studied Certificate IV in Furniture Design and Technology (Fine Furniture Making) at Sturt School for Wood in Mittagong NSW. After graduating he remained at Sturt working from the resident workshop. During this time, Mark was given the opportunity to be a casual teacher for the part time Fine Woodworking program and in 2018 he was the Sturt School for Wood Course Coordinator.
Read MoreMichael has had a lifelong passion for woodworking. He has taught “Design and Technology” for over 45 years with a special interest in woodcraft and furniture making. His extensive portfolio of work ranges from modern furniture and cabinetry through to classic works of reproduction, especially those from Japan.
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