Based in Harland Works, Fallen Giants takes reclaimed wooden objects and repurposes the timber into lasting, contemporary furniture designs.
“Fallen Giants is about 10 years old. I used to live in London, working as a graphic designer, then I became very ill. It was one of those life-changing points, where you go: ‘I have to start again.’ I did woodwork as a hobby with my dad, and decided it was now or never to turn it into a business.
“A wooden boat is about the hardest thing to build, so I went to a boat building school in Lyme Regis for 18 months. I built a boat and it actually did float! She was called the Runcible Spoon, from The Owl and the Pussycat. I moved back to London - where there is no boat building! - but my girlfriend Lindsey, now my wife, had a flat in Sheffield, and we decided to move there. So now I was a boat builder in the middle of England!
“I thought I could make furniture instead and worked for a high-end kitchen manufacturer. I learnt a lot, but there was so much waste of wood. I used to take the wood out of the skip, as it was going to landfill, and make things from it. I started Fallen Giants, using reclaimed materials, and moved to Harland Works in 2017, at first in a tiny workshop and now in a bigger unit. I love the space and the light, and it’s such a nice community, including animators, a violin maker and the cafe.
“The pandemic could have wiped us out, but our landlord Sophy was understanding and generous. I was able to continue to work, as I work on my own, but everyone was scared and no one was buying fancy furniture. It was tough, but I was able to carry on and thankfully it was not a disaster.
“I try to use as much reclaimed timber as possible and I am currently working on three commissions for cabinets made from reclaimed Bolivian wood. I know a Professor of Forestry at the University of Sheffield who is involved with the Cochabamba Project. They promote sustainable forestry and had a small amount of leftover mahogany, so I’m using the timber to make a record cabinet for a vinyl collector, as well as a sideboard and a small cabinet.
“There is a nice social side here, and we have got business from people coming to the cafe. There is a jazz singer in the cafe on Sundays, as well as the football crowd when Sheffield play at home, and I really enjoy the sense of community.”
More info: https://fallengiantswoodworks.com/
BACK To Meet a Small Business Profiles: Fallen Giants, Mary Sewell, Lovely Rita’s Bakehouse, Theatre Deli, Locksley Distillery Co
Photos by Alexandra Wallace Photography (also based at Harland Works!)