Yours For The Making with Robin Johnson

In this episode of Yours for the Making Robin Johnson speaks with Robin Redmile-Gordon, Director of Ichi-Coo Park, about building a life shaped by creativity and long term thinking. Robin shares how transforming Russ Hill Farm into a vast garden and living artwork helped him stay sane while running a global IT company. The conversation moves through craftsmanship collaboration and why clear briefs unlock exceptional work from skilled people. Robin offers a blunt critique of modern education and exam driven learning, argues for apprenticeships rooted in real work, and explains why holistic learning matters more than qualifications.
Robin also discusses AI as a practical tool for thinking diagnosis and productivity, shares his experience of living with terminal blood cancer and the role of Turkey Tail mushrooms, and outlines ideas for a future where skills, purpose and creativity matter more than bureaucracy. This episode challenges conventional thinking and defends making as a meaningful way to live.
Key Topics Covered
Building Itchy Park as a living artwork
Long term collaboration with craftspeople
Value over cost in bespoke work
Clear briefs and creative freedom
Gardening as a form of art
Escaping stress through making and landscape
Apprenticeships and skills based learning
Failures of exam focused education
Holistic learning and curiosity driven teaching
Teaching through real work not theory
AI as a practical tool for thinking and diagnosis
Critique of fear around artificial intelligence
Living with terminal blood cancer
Turkey Tail mushrooms and blood health

Purpose identity and creating meaningful work
Clip Fest and community making events

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Leave a review, follow us, and share the episode with a fellow maker. New episodes every week with artists, designers, craftsmen and creators from around the world.
Yours for the Making with Robin Johnson is the podcast that celebrates creativity, craftsmanship, and the art of making. Hosted by Robin Johnson — founder of Johnson Bespoke and BBC presenter on The Travelling Auctioneers, The Restorers, Woodland Workshop — this podcast dives into the stories of makers from all walks of life. From woodworkers, metal fabricators, and chefs to artists, designers, and hobbyists, each episode offers real conversations with the people behind the things we love.
Whether you're a hands-on creative, aspiring artisan, or simply curious about how things are made, this podcast offers inspiration, insight, and practical wisdom. Expect behind-the-scenes stories, lessons in process and passion, and a celebration of the maker movement in all its

In this episode of Yours for the Making Robin Johnson speaks with furniture designer Sam Kille about his route from military service into bespoke furniture making. Sam explains how carpentry and joinery in the Royal Engineers shaped his discipline precision and approach to craft. He talks openly about running a furniture business with a partner, stepping away during Covid, and returning with a clearer sense of direction.
The conversation covers Scandinavian and Japanese influences, heirloom quality furniture, and the realities of selling bespoke work in the UK. Sam also discusses pricing honestly, choosing the right clients, diversifying income through kitchen work, and why furniture should last generations. This episode offers a grounded view of what it takes to build a sustainable furniture practice without shortcuts.
Key Topics Covered
Moving from the military into furniture making
Carpentry and joinery as a foundation skill
Discipline precision and craft standards
Scandinavian and Japanese furniture influences
Building heirloom quality furniture
Running and closing a furniture partnership
Diversifying income through kitchens and joinery
Selling bespoke furniture in the UK market
Pricing work realistically
Choosing clients carefully
Long term value of quality furniture
Apprenticeships traditional skills and teaching
Work life balance and four day working
Identity ownership and returning to furniture making

Enjoying the show?
Leave a review, follow us, and share the episode with a fellow maker. New episodes every week with artists, designers, craftsmen and creators from around the world.
Yours for the Making with Robin Johnson is the podcast that celebrates creativity, craftsmanship, and the art of making. Hosted by Robin Johnson — founder of Johnson Bespoke and BBC presenter on The Travelling Auctioneers, The Restorers, Woodland Workshop — this podcast dives into the stories of makers from all walks of life. From woodworkers, metal fabricators, and chefs to artists, designers, and hobbyists, each episode offers real conversations with the people behind the things we love.
Whether you're a hands-on creative, aspiring artisan, or simply curious about how things are made, this podcast offers inspiration, insight, and practical wisdom. Expect behind-the-scenes stories, lessons in process and passion, and a celebration of the maker movement in all its forms.
Subscribe now and follow Yours for the Making wherever you listen to your favourite podcasts.
Key Moments:
00:00 Introduction to Sam Kille and his background
01:10 Military training and carpentry trade
02:38 Starting a furniture business with a partner
03:39 Closing the business and stepping away
04:29 Design influences and visual...

In this episode of Yours for the Making Robin Johnson speaks with South London furniture designer Laurent Peacock about his route from industrial design into bespoke furniture making. Laurent explains why mass production left him cold and how working directly with wood gave him clarity and purpose. He talks openly about earning the Guild Mark and the validation it brought both personally and professionally.
The conversation explores the tension between form and function in contemporary furniture design, the pressure to build a recognisable style, and the reality of making work that must last as well as look right. Laurent also shares his discomfort with self promotion, his approach to exhibitions, and why tactility and physical interaction sit at the centre of his work. This episode offers a clear and honest view of what it takes to build a sustainable practice in high quality furniture making.
Key Topics Covered
Moving from industrial design to furniture making
The role of wood as a tactile and approachable material
Achieving the Guild Mark and what it represents
Validation skill and confidence in craft
Building a network within the woodworking community
The gap between functional furniture and art furniture
Balancing form function and longevity
The challenge of storytelling in furniture design
Exhibitions galleries and visibility
Promoting work without compromising values
Developing a recognisable creative identity
Tactility interaction and physical engagement with furniture

Enjoying the show?
Leave a review, follow us, and share the episode with a fellow maker. New episodes every week with artists, designers, craftsmen and creators from around the world.
Yours for the Making with Robin Johnson is the podcast that celebrates creativity, craftsmanship, and the art of making. Hosted by Robin Johnson — founder of Johnson Bespoke and BBC presenter on The Travelling Auctioneers, The Restorers, Woodland Workshop — this podcast dives into the stories of makers from all walks of life. From woodworkers, metal fabricators, and chefs to artists, designers, and hobbyists, each episode offers real conversations with the people behind the things we love.
Whether you're a hands-on creative, aspiring artisan, or simply curious about how things are made, this podcast offers inspiration, insight, and practical wisdom. Expect behind-the-scenes stories, lessons in process and passion, and a celebration of the maker movement in all its forms.
Subscribe now and follow Yours for the Making wherever you listen to your favourite podcasts.
Key Moments:
00:00 Introduction to Laurent Peacock and his background
00:34 Early fascination with making and design
02:20 Industrial design and dissatisfaction with mass production
03:31 Discovering furniture making and working with wood
05:10 Submitting work for the Guild Mark
06:45 Validation confidence and opening...

This episode of Yours for the Making dives deep into the world of chainsaw sculptor Ella Fielding. Her story offers a clear view of how creativity takes shape when instinct, physical craft and neurodiversity come together. Robin Johnson talks with Ella about her early start in sculpture, the impact of dyslexia and ADHD on her creative thinking, and her discovery of a fast and intuitive way of working with wood.
Ella explains the emotional experience of carving fallen trees for clients, the practical challenges of working with different timbers and the therapeutic presence she feels when cutting. She also explores the flaws of traditional education, the value of hands-on learning, the influence of play, and the importance of making without the pressure to display or impress. This is a grounded and honest conversation that celebrates the maker mindset and the spirit of curiosity that drives creative work.

Key Topics Covered
Ella’s journey into sculpture and chainsaw carving
The impact of dyslexia and ADHD on creative problem solving
Limitations of traditional art education and the value of practical learning
The importance of play in early creativity
Mindfulness through physical craft and focused making
Working with different types of wood and the challenges each one presents
How personal stories and environments shape commissioned pieces
The emotional role of tree carving and honouring fallen trees
Social media use for creative community building
Building confidence in handmade work without public pressure

Enjoying the show?
Leave a review, follow us, and share the episode with a fellow maker. New episodes every week with artists, designers, craftsmen and creators from around the world.

Yours for the Making with Robin Johnson is the podcast that celebrates creativity, craftsmanship, and the art of making. Hosted by Robin Johnson — founder of Johnson Bespoke and BBC presenter on The Travelling Auctioneers, The Restorers, Woodland Workshop — this podcast dives into the stories of makers from all walks of life. From woodworkers, metal fabricators, and chefs to artists, designers, and hobbyists, each episode offers real conversations with the people behind the things we love.

Whether you're a hands-on creative, aspiring artisan, or simply curious about how things are made, this podcast offers inspiration, insight, and practical wisdom. Expect behind-the-scenes stories, lessons in process and passion, and a celebration of the maker movement in all its forms.

Subscribe now and follow Yours for the Making wherever you listen to your favourite podcasts.

Key Moments:
00:00 Introduction to Ella and her unique creative path
00:52 Discovering chainsaw carving during her sculpture degree
04:30 Finding confidence through fast and instinctive making
05:47 The uncertainty of a career in fine art
09:19 Ella leaves school at 14 and discovers hands on learning
13:02 Discussion on the flaws in the education system
18:26 Creativity, play and permission to fail
20:51 The joy and discovery that happens through making
21:10 How the tree itself shapes the final sculpture
23:19 The emotional process of carving fallen trees
25:48 How Ella designs commissions that reflect people and place
26:24 The influence of neurodiversity on her creative life
33:34 The sensory link between materials and creativity
36:50 The importance of making without public pressure
40:20 Mindfulness and presence in chainsaw carving
43:37 The role of surfing and making in mental clarity
48:51 Working with different types of wood
52:18 Respect for ancient trees and the emotional impact of loss
55:38 Public commissions and where to see Ella’s work
57:22 Social media and creative

In this episode of Yours for the Making Robin Johnson speaks with Lindsey and Rik Goodman about designing building and running Looking Glass Lodge in Fairlight East Sussex. The conversation follows their journey from an early idea of a small shepherd style retreat to delivering a striking glass fronted woodland lodge with near full occupancy.
Lindsey and Rik explain the influence of family history and woodland stewardship on the design, the planning challenges of building in an area of outstanding natural beauty, and the financial pressure created by specialist glass requirements and rising material costs during Covid. They discuss sourcing locally, designing for calm rather than activity, switching from build mode to marketing overnight, and learning what guests actually value. This episode gives a clear view of the emotional financial and practical reality of building a high end retreat in the UK countryside.
Key Topics Covered
Creating a woodland lodge in Fairlight East Sussex
Family history land stewardship and local context
Moving from shepherd hut idea to full lodge build
Planning permission in protected landscapes
Sustainable building choices and ground screw foundations
Specialist glass and wildlife light control
Budget pressure and borrowing decisions
Impact of Covid on building materials and timelines
Hands on building and project management
Interior design biophilic principles and tactility
Switching from construction to marketing
Guest experience calm privacy and doing nothing
Local suppliers community support and repeat guests
Financial viability occupancy rates and long term value

Enjoying the show?
Leave a review, follow us, and share the episode with a fellow maker. New episodes every week with artists, designers, craftsmen and creators from around the world.
Yours for the Making with Robin Johnson is the podcast that celebrates creativity, craftsmanship, and the art of making. Hosted by Robin Johnson — founder of Johnson Bespoke and BBC presenter on The Travelling Auctioneers, The Restorers, Woodland Workshop — this podcast dives into the stories of makers from all walks of life. From woodworkers, metal fabricators, and chefs to artists, designers, and hobbyists, each episode offers real conversations with the people behind the things we love.
Whether you're a hands-on creative, aspiring artisan, or simply curious about how things are made, this podcast offers inspiration, insight, and practical wisdom. Expect behind-the-scenes stories, lessons in process and passion, and a celebration of the maker movement in all its forms.
Subscribe now and follow Yours for the Making wherever you listen to your favourite podcasts.
Key Moments:
00:00 Introducing Looking Glass Lodge and its...