Patrick Legard

Had a friend visit the workshop a few weeks back and he took some beautiful photos for me. Currently editing through what I’ll be using for the website but there’s so many lovely shots I’ve got to post a few. This is a bar stool I made for myself to keep in the shop. Spalted beech seat and repurposed sapele. #woodwork #woodworking #furniture #design #furnituredesign #handmade #handtools #chair

Few shots of the finished oak and black walnut side table. Now onto a bar stool I’ve been working on. I’ve got some interesting projects in the pipeline. Looking forward to sharing the process with you. #woodwork #woodworker #furniture #furnituredesign #handmade #midcentury #sidetable #design

..And on to the next project. Really glad with how this bench turned out. Enjoyed the process of designing as I was going which you don’t get to do very often. Lots of dovetails and textures coming with the next piece so stay tuned. . . #woodwork #furniture #furnituredesign #interior #handmade #bespoke #chair #chairdesign #woodworker

Over the finish line. Had a lot of fun making this chair. After my selling my last one I wanted to experiment further and test a few ideas. I’ve been wanting to make a chair in spalted beech for some time. I can confidently say this is a one of a kind. I feel like this design sits somewhere between traditional and contemporary. The contrast of the ebonized ash spindles and stretchers almost make it seem like a mix of materials rather than finish. They look quite metallic to me. What do you think? #woodwork #woodworking #furniture #furnituredesign #chair #contemporary

Day 5 of @find.amaker week and today it’s my turn to pick a top 5 from the diverse mix of craftspeople in family. 1: @2hungrybakers I unfortunately didn’t get to say hello but did get to see the beautiful work made by these two at the GNCCF this year. Their work really stood out to me. I love the tones and mix of materials. Just extremely pleasing. 2: @wheatcroftwillow Another maker that stood out at the GNCCF. Really beautiful work! Hope to get myself on one of Rachel’s courses in the future. Those backpacks are stunning. 3: @all_in_the_making John makes bloody beautiful Welsh stick chairs and lots of other lovely pieces of furniture. He’s been a great person to chat with as I set out to explore doing fairs/shows. Cheers John. (Sorry the picture’s cut off) 4: @victoriaowenprints I’ve just come across Victoria’s work as I scanned through the find a maker site. Love her style. Check her out! 5: @ashandplumb These two and a few other makers are really paving their own path right now with form and finishes. I particularly find their finishes eye opening and inspiring. #woodwork #woodworker #furniture #furnituredesign #findamakerweek

Inspiration. Day 4 of @find.amaker week. Today’s all about inspiration behind work and practice. I’m not one of those with a vast library of books on furniture or makers. I find most of my inspiration comes from an innate want to play, solve puzzles, learn and express myself whether it be through furniture, music or other means. I find that inspiration evolves with the individual. What inspires me today is different to what will inspire me tomorrow. I’ve always wanted the freedom to see for myself whether or not an idea can work. The more I learn, the more nuanced everything becomes. I find straight lines and chamfers really satisfying. On the other hand I think curves in most forms are beautiful so try to marry the two which is why I chose these detail pictures. Traditional methods inspire me more and more as I get closer to a lifestyle connected directly to my work. Enjoying sourcing my own timber and connecting with other local tradespeople. I’m always wanting to learn new methods. Sometimes going against the grain and using tools/machines in ways I’m told I shouldn’t. We only get one ride. Might as well rock the boat. #woodwork #woodworker #furniture #furnituredesign #findamakerweek

Workshop Tour. Heating hack at the end! It’s day 3 of @find.amaker week. Behind the scenes. I show a lot of my processes in reels I post so thought I’d take you round my tiny workshop. I’ve hidden some pieces away that I will be posting in the next couple of weeks. I can make furniture. Not films. Thanks to my friend Grant who helped film. If nothing else, we had fun! #woodwork #woodworker #furniture #furnituredesign #findamakerweek

Going to need a bigger stocking! Which would you like to find in yours? It’s day 2 of @find.amaker week. In the past I’ve always used my spare time to shut the world out and experiment in the workshop. Usually creating smaller pieces for the home out of the wood I’ve been hoarding. Also teaching myself new skills on the lathe or hand carving. Now as a co-parent to a 3yr old, planning and converting a lorry to live in, keeping customers happy and designing new pieces of furniture. Spare time has taken a back seat so I’ve only got a few pieces that came back with me from a recent show. If anything you see sparks some interest do get in touch as I’m not sure when I’ll have time to upload them onto my shop. #woodwork #woodworker #furniture #furnituredesign #findamakerweek

A little introduction.. It’s @find.amaker week so a good excuse to say hello. Hi, I’m Patrick. I started Legards just over two years ago as I’ve always dreamt of having my own workshop, the freedom to create and have no one to answer to. Woodworking has been my job from the age of seventeen. Working in various workshops building free standing and fitted furniture. None of it quite satisfied the urge to create unique pieces and play with design. Ultimately, I think life is just one big lesson so if you’re not learning you’re stagnant. My current obsession is chair making as you’ll see from my profile but I trained in fine furniture which I’ll be back to with my next project. The second picture is my makers mark. Thought I’d add that as it’s a lot more pleasing on the eyes. I chose a sprig of wheat as I’ve built a special connection to the farm and farmer where my workshop is. I owe a lot to him so it felt fitting. Thanks for reading if you’ve got this far and I hope some will enjoy the journey with me! #woodwork #woodworker #furniture #furnituredesign #findamakerweek

Sneak peak at the end 🫣 I’m having a lot of fun making this chair. I’ve kept these pieces of spalted beech for this project as they still have their strength and the patterns are stunning. Can’t wait to fit the arms and see it all together! #woodwork #woodworking #handtools #handmade #furniture #furnituredesign #chair #chairmaking #carving

I could do this all day! It’s so much fun making a chair. Each piece shaped by hand with just a few hand tools needed. And these little curly wurlys make really good fire starters. Winner. I’m out of the workshop for a few days with site work. Itching to get back and finish this piece. #woodwork #woodworking #handtools #handmade #furniture #furnituredesign #chair #chairmaking #carving

Carving a seat out with hand tools. It’s amazing what you can achieve with just two tools! I’d say this is the part I look forward to most when starting a chair. Combined with a spokeshave and rasp you can transform a big clunky bit of timber into a refined, comfy seat. Magic. Also keeps you nice and warm as these shorter days get a bit nippy. Adze from @workshopheaven Travisher from @windsorworkshop #woodwork #woodworking #handtools #handmade #furniture #furnituredesign #chair #chairmaking #carving