Art of the furniture

Furniture maker Steve Maxfield

A MASTER craftsman in Mossley has delivered a piece of handmade furniture to a £140m mansion in Henley-on-Thames — one of the most expensive properties in the country.

Working through an agent in France, whom he met at a trade exhibition in Manchester, Steve Maxfield designed and crafted a bespoke dressing table for a Russian billionaire.

“That’s as much as I know,” said Steve in the confines of his workshop at Woodend Mill in Manchester Road.

Steve (50) took the commission after a series of telephone calls with the agent, who took an interest in his work at Manchester Central (formerly the G-Mex).

“She asked me about my work and took my number but I didn’t expect to hear from her again,” he said.

But, true to her word, the woman called from France, the pair exchanged sketched designs — Steve also has an art and design degree — before the question of price was raised.

“Working in kiln-dried wood and manufacturing curves is a time-consuming process. I suggested the price would be at least £10,000,” he added.

“I promptly received a £5,000 deposit and now I am about to deliver and install the piece.”

The commission has led to other work for Steve, whose grandparents — Isaac Barraclough and Stanley Hurst — were master carpenters.

“I was an apprentice for four years after I left school but I wasn’t sure working with wood was what I wanted to do so I left and did lots of other things,” he said.

Those “other things” included a degree, time as a truck driver, a wasted year studying to be a teacher and then a six-figure salary in sales with a recruitment agency.

None of these were totally fulfilling so Steve returned to his first love and, six years ago, set up Isaac Hurst Fine Furniture in memory of his grandparents.

In addition to bespoke pieces, he has a range of retail furniture, all hand-made, starting at £300.

Steve is keen to recruit full-time help and is also on the verge of taking on an apprentice. He needs to move to a larger unit as none of the finished items can be stored on the premises due to the damp climate.