OUR APPROACH TO BESPOKE FURNITURE DESIGN
I was fortunate on four counts. I was born into a large South Wiltshire farming family. I met my wife Celia in my teens. I read Natural History at university. I undertook an apprenticeship in furniture making with Richard Fyson in Oxfordshire.
The first gave me chalk under my fingernails, a love of the natural world and insight into the adaptability needed in the changing rural economy. The second, a partner steeped in the logistical vagaries of a nomadic military life, with the improvisation, flexibility and foresight required to guide a business rooted in craftsmanship. The third, an awareness and respect for natural systems. The fourth, a lived model of the tenacity and attention to detail required to pursue excellence in making.
These foundations shaped our commitment to designing and handcrafting bespoke wooden furniture with integrity. From the start, we chose to deal directly with our clients, not through galleries or retailers, because we believe that a closer dialogue creates better work.
Since 1978, we’ve taken the harder road: designing, making, administering, marketing, and delivering our furniture from our own workshop in Wiltshire. That independence keeps our standards high and our values intact. The only place you can commission or buy Matthew Burt furniture is from Matthew Burt.
We build furniture that lasts, whether fully bespoke or made to order, crafted from sustainably sourced British timbers and designed to stand the test of time.
Matthew talks further about the business, the environment and more in this interview with design and architecture magazine, Enki, conducted in April 2022
WHAT BESPOKE MEANS AT MATTHEW BURT
At Matthew Burt, bespoke furniture is the opposite of off-the-shelf. It’s custom-built for the people who commission it, designed for their homes, their values, and the way they live, whether in London, Wiltshire, or further afield.
We work with clients across the UK an internationally to craft custom wooden furniture to an exceptional standard. Whether it’s a bespoke oak dining table, an elm drinks cabinet, or a burr oak sideboard (or burl as our American friends like to say), each piece is individually designed and handcrafted to order in our Wiltshire workshop.
Our work celebrates timber’s imperfections, natural markings, and unique character. No two trees, commissions, or indeed people are ever the same. For clients who want something simpler or faster, we also offer a selection of made-to-order designs, still crafted by hand, still unmistakably ours.
COMMISSIONING A PIECE: STEP BY STEP
1. Discovery and Design
We start with a conversation — about your space, your needs, and how you live. Together, we shape ideas through dialogue, sketches, and exploration. The design is led by your vision, grounded in our expertise, and guided by the character of the wood. Some clients opt for a made-to-order version of one of our signature designs, which allows for a shorter lead time while still offering the same level of craftsmanship and material quality.
2. Choosing the Timber
We work with locally sourced British hardwoods, including burr oak, bog oak, pippy elm, and olive ash. Each board is selected for its personality, shaped by weather, time, and growth.
3. Making in Wiltshire
Your commission is built in our Hindon workshop by a small team of master craftsmen and apprentices. Using both hand tools and modern techniques, we create furniture that is tactile, enduring, and built to serve for generations.
4. Delivery and Installation
From workshop to home, we handle every stage. We deliver throughout the UK and personally manage installation where required, ensuring your piece arrives safely, fits beautifully, and feels right in place.
THE BRITISH TIMBERS THAT SHAPE OUR FURNITURE
We work almost exclusively with British hardwoods, chosen for their individuality, durability, and beauty. Each species brings its own colour, grain, and character. Shaped by nature, never mass-produced.
Here are some of our most used and most loved timbers:
Pippy oak
Known for its lively grain and scattered clusters of small knots, pippy oak brings warmth and movement to everything from benches to boardroom tables.
Brown oak
Oak that has darkened through interaction with fungus while growing. Its rich, honeyed tones and deep figuring make it ideal for furniture with quiet drama.
Bog oak
Ancient and carbon-dated to over 5,000 years old, bog oak is a rare find. Pulled from peat bogs and almost black in tone, it adds gravity and depth to any piece.
Burr elm
Textural and bold, with wild, swirling grain patterns. Burr elm creates sculptural surfaces that feel both organic and refined.
Olive ash
Ash with contrasting light and dark streaks, reminiscent of olive wood. It’s durable, striking, and works beautifully for clean-lined contemporary designs.
These aren’t stock materials. They are artefacts of time, climate, and geology. We choose each board ourselves, not just for stability, but for its story. We call them maverick trees; it’s their distinctive qualities that guide the hand and shape the outcome. Head over to our Woods page to learn more.
WHERE OUR FURNITURE LIVES
Over the decades, our bespoke furniture has found its place in homes, institutions and cultural spaces across the UK, and occasionally beyond.
Some of our most recognised bespoke furniture commissions include:
- A hand-built altar for St Thomas’ Church in Salisbury
- Furniture for the Chief of MI6’s private office suite
- Installations for the Ashmolean Museum and the Courtauld Gallery
- Made-to-order furniture for private homes in London, Wiltshire and the South East
Our work has been featured in national publications, including The Financial Times, which wrote:
“Matthew Burt’s flowing pieces, found in MI6, churches as well as private homes, foreground the curiosities of British trees, from burr to bog.” — Financial Times
These commissions and features reflect our commitment to combining timeless design with natural materials, whether for a chapel, a gallery or a family home.
COMMISSION YOUR FURNITURE
Whether you’re looking for a bespoke oak dining table, a burr elm drinks cabinet, or a full interior scheme, we’re here to bring it to life — with care, precision and without compromise.
Alongside our fully bespoke service, we also offer a range of made-to-order designs. These are original Matthew Burt pieces, built to order in our Wiltshire workshop using the same standards of craftsmanship and timber selection. They offer a faster route to owning heirloom-quality furniture, with the same character, care and materials.
Every piece we make, bespoke or made-to-order, is designed and built by us, never outsourced or mass-produced.
To begin your commission or enquire about our made-to-order designs, use the form below or call us directly. We’d be happy to talk through your ideas.
