Making furniture was a leap of faith, but we are carving out our future

FURNITURE MAKERS PAUL AND MARIA LE MESURIER, WOODEDIT

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Working from an outbuilding on the picturesque Uppark Estate, a National Trust property in the heart of rural West Sussex, Paul Le Mesurier has realized his dream of working with wood. Following a successful career as an osteopath, Paul decided to take a year’s sabbatical in 2011 and embarked on a traditional boatbuilding course in Lowestoft.

The decision coincided with his chance meeting of Maria. After a whirlwind year traveling to see each other at weekends, the couple married. ‘I returned to osteopathy to make ends meet and we lived in a small converted farm building in Rogate,’ says Paul. ‘With a growing family – three children from Maria’s first marriage (Alfred, 16, Pearl, 15, and Gio, 11) and two together (Dolly, six and Rocky, three) – we quickly ran out of space.’ A fortuitous house swap followed. Maria’s mother was keen to downsize and so the family moved to her converted stable block on the nearby Uppark Estate.

With its rambling layout and capacious rooms, The Stables provided the catalyst for their furniture business. ‘We had been looking for simple wooden furniture to use at home and, unable to source any we liked, we decided to design our own. I sketched the ideas and Paul turned them into a reality,’ says Maria. Harnessed by a desire for simplicity and authenticity in all aspects of life, the couple wanted each design to ‘serve a purpose, look great, withstand the rigours of everyday use and make you feel happy. We don’t believe in having things for the sake of it,’ says Maria.