Design

Boat builder’s chair proved a life raft for craftsman

Wicklow furniture maker Brendan Lawless was inspired to recreate a quirky 19th-century chair he picked up at a craft fair, and it proved a hit even during the recession

Furniture craftsman Brendan Lawless with his boat builder’s chair, which will be exhibiting at Gifted, the annual craft and design fair at the RDS Dublin at the end of this month. Picture: Nicholas Whelan

A craftsman who has seen his business saved by reviving a quirky 19th century Irish chair design will be in the spotlight at Gifted, the Contemporary Craft and Design Fair, at the RDS in Dublin from Wednesday, November 30 to Sunday, December 4.

A chance encounter with the boat builder’s chair, based on an old Irish design dating to 1830, saved Brendan Lawless’s career and set him on a new creative path.

Based in Kilmacanogue ...