‘We started Artichoke with a strong conviction that brilliantly designed joinery can immeasurably improve a client’s experience of living in a period building. We are still excited by our work with wood and remain fascinated by its power to shape homes,’ says founder, Bruce Hodgson, the creative force behind the company, overseeing the direction of every project.
Commissions have taken its craftsmen into some of England’s most intriguing homes, each offering the challenge of how to fit it for modern living without compromising its historic elegance and value. By combining sensitive joinery design with space-planning expertise and keen observation of household life, Artichoke’s work becomes integral to a building’s architectural heritage for generations to come.
There is purposely neither showroom nor brochure. That’s because Artichoke joinery is genuinely bespoke: imagined, designed, and crafted specifically for each client’s home and household. ‘At any one time we work with only a handful of clients,’ says Hodgson. ‘That allows us to forge close relationships with them and their team. Through trust and collaboration, we help transform houses into the family home of our clients’ dreams – exquisite yet practical – while doing justice to the house itself.’
Artichoke’s designers draw upon a profound understanding of period styles. But they are experts, not purists: forget slavish reproduction, they prefer to devise ideas that weave into a house’s fabric and architectural story. A hand finish on wood, for example, can restore atmosphere to an older house, just as it adds subtle beauty to a new build. Breadth of design vocabulary and an encyclopaedic knowledge of classic interiors makes for kitchens and houses fitted for modern living, without compromising their original period charm.
To conjure up the remarkable for clients and their homes, Artichoke’s designers work hand-in-glove with exceptional artisans. An incomparable network across a myriad of specialist trades brings to bear the craft skills of talented individuals in executing the designer’s vision. Quality of design must be matched by the highest quality of cabinet-making: joinery is therefore made at Artichoke’s Somerset workshops, where extraordinary makers are equipped with state-of-the-art technology.
The original design vision is accurately executed; quality control and detail are overseen at every stage.
Never has a year brought into such sharp relief the idea that an Englishman’s home is his castle. More time at home has prompted many to think hard about their houses: what works and what does not.
‘This is where we come in,’ explains Hodgson. ‘We’ve had a really exceptional year, thanks to clients who have supported us unflinchingly and to an incredible team of designers and makers who have adapted how they work to guarantee no compromise in the quality of what we deliver. In designing and making architectural joinery and fitted furniture for generations to enjoy, we are committed to making a difference in our clients’ lives, as well as enhancing Britain’s architectural heritage. We are excited about 2021 and relish its returning freedoms.’
