Nick Pedullá of Pedullá Studio makes custom furniture and woodworking videos in Sydney, Australia
Sydney, Australia-based custom furniture maker Nick Pedulla got off to an inauspicious start when he failed his High School Certificate – the equivalent to a UK GCSE – in woodworking. Nick had a full year to focus on a single project to obtain the qualification, which was to dictate which college he would get into. ‘I was 16 years old and I decided to take on the challenge of building a roll-top desk,’ he tells F&C. ‘My woodwork teacher and the guy who sold me the plans advised me to build something a little less complicated, but as per usual I didn’t listen. I spent the year building the most challenging piece I could have attempted, and after many mistakes and many lessons learned I managed to successfully complete the project – only to have the HSC markers fail me because they didn’t believe I built it on my own. After calling a meeting with my teachers and my parents they came to the realisation that, yes indeed, this woodworking-obsessed teenager had managed to build a piece as detailed as this roll-top desk, and gave me the marks that I most likely deserved.’
Nick had been interested in woodworking since his grandfather, a retired builder who made custom furniture in his garage, introduced him to it at the age of eight. ‘He noticed I had an interest for building at a young age, so he took me under his wing and I’ve been obsessed with it ever since,’ Nick says. ‘I loved woodworking at school, and when it came time to start thinking about a career it seemed only natural to continue what I enjoy doing.’
He went straight from school into a four-year cabinetmaking apprenticeship during which he got a wide range of experience in the building industry, from domestic to commercial furniture. ‘After completing my apprenticeship I worked for a number of other businesses from installing kitchens to building slab- style furniture,’ he says. ‘The last job I had before starting my own business was for a company building custom solid timber furniture, where I managed a small team.’
Coming from a family of business owners, it felt like a natural progression for Nick to strike out on his own. He says: ‘After the experience of my last job as an employee, I came to the realisation that if I’m going to work this hard at my craft, I better do it for myself and only for myself – that is the only way that I’m going to progress to the next level.’ His experience as an apprentice had given him a solid idea of what it would take to set up a furniture business, so after that he deliberately chose jobs that would give him the right experiences he needed for a future own venture.
‘After my apprenticeship I began installing kitchens. This gave me the experience of the installation process, which was not only a useful skill but also helped when it came to designing my own pieces. I then chose other jobs in solid wood construction to give me the experience I was after when it came to milling and constructing solid timber furniture.’
Workshop of dreams
‘I knew that when I finally started my business I wanted to create my dream workshop, and I feel like what I created has allowed me to run the business I always wanted,’ Nick says of the workshop he has been in for the past seven years. ‘I spent a lot of time trying to work out how I wanted my workshop to operate. I’ve worked in a number of shops in my career, and they all had one thing in common: they were disorganised. To use a machine you would have to move material out of the way, or the machines weren’t kept in good condition so they wouldn’t perform the way they should. These were all obstacles that stopped a smooth building process. I always knew that when I had my own shop that I would organise it in such a way that it would be a pleasure to work in. There’s no set-up for any machine or any process. This allows a smooth workflow.
‘I also specifically designed my workshop to be my showroom. Not to show off finished pieces, but to show the process in a way that’s appealing to any potential client that walks through the door. I find that this is a far more effective way to get clients: they can see the process, smell the wood and look at the tools. This adds to their experience, as they’re not just buying a piece of furniture – they’re buying something that’s been handmade by a skilled maker.’
Nick loves working with hand tools, but also enjoys using power tools and jigs to get a job done perfectly. ‘Designing the right jig is almost like solving a puzzle,’ he says. Walnut is one of his favourite woods – ‘the chocolate tones are unlike any other wood, plus it’s easy to work with and the grain is just beautiful,’ he says. ‘My other favourites are some Australian native woods: Tasmanian oak because of its colour and straight grain and Tasmanian Blackwood, again because of its colour and grain.’ He likes to add brass and copper accents in his work, noting that these metals work particularly well with walnut. Nick’s go-to finish is hardwax oil – ‘mostly because you can use it in a workshop that doesn’t have a dedicated finishing room,’ he admits. ‘It’s easy to use and allows me to get perfect results every time.’
Until recently Nick has worked purely on commission, but he is currently building his own pieces and filming videos of the builds. ‘The popularity of my videos and my Patreon account allow me to earn an income through video production, which is an exciting new endeavour for me.’ He loves working on both his commissioned pieces and his own collection. ‘Commissioned pieces are a little more creatively restrictive as you have set parameters to work towards, but the fact that I’m creating it specifically for a client who is genuinely excited about the process is a great experience,’ he says. ‘Building my own pieces is a lot of fun as I get full creative control and find I can really push my boundaries as I don’t have any set requirements.’
Excitement and inspiration
Often his inspiration comes from his clients. ‘It’s always nice to get to know them a little bit. It’s also important to me during the briefing period that my clients send me images of styles they love, of things that inspire them. This can be images of furniture, architecture, artworks, anything really,’ he explains. ‘This is an important part of the process as it allows me to see inside their world a little bit, to get an understanding of what they like and dislike. From that point I can then begin my design process using their inspiration to guide my designs. I also find that being in the right headspace allows my creativity to excel.
Being inspired by listening to music or seeing other people’s exciting creations. That always gives me a positive boost to then want to go and do my own creative things.’ Nick says his style comes from building things that excite him: ‘I don’t like building the same thing twice as I get bored, so I want to constantly be exposed to new ideas and processes. This not only allows me to continue to get better at my craft but also provides my clients a piece of furniture that’s unlike anything I’ve built before.’
His favourite project so far has been his Vigne Bench, an ash bench seat with a flowing ribbon that wraps around the bench and acts as a leg, supporting one end. Nick says: ‘It was a completely new building method to me, one that I wasn’t even sure would work, but after successfully achieving the piece I can’t wait to use this technique again in the future.’ He is currently working on a Sculpted Coffee Table in Tasmanian blackwood, and next on the list is a new workbench he is very excited about.
Nick has always loved woodworking videos, so producing his own seemed a natural progression, as well as a way to showcase his work. ‘I always had in the back of my mind that when I started my business I would have to learn to not only photograph my work, but also to film and edit my process,’ he says. ‘When I made my first video I had no idea how to operate a camera other than how to turn it on, so there were absolutely no expectations of how many people would see the video. I was over the moon when I had views on YouTube. My videos have now had millions of views from people all over the world, with countless emails and messages from people who have managed to learn a thing or two from my processes, and that makes me incredibly happy. I feel like I get to pass on the skills my grandfather taught me to people all over the world.’
His advice to fellow makers who would like to create videos is first of all not to worry about what camera gear you have. ‘I know that sounds ironic, seeing that I have enough equipment to start my own production company, but camera gear is like woodworking tools: the expensive stuff is well made and will get you there faster, but the cheap gear still does the same job,’ he says. ‘When creating videos for YouTube it’s important to understand the analytics so you can wrap your head around what makes a good video, but don’t get lost in these numbers. It’s more important to create good videos that people can connect with.’ So what does he like better, making furniture or making videos? ‘I’ll always prefer the process of building more than anything, but these days making furniture and making videos go hand in hand. Both are really enjoyable to me,’ he says. Looking forward Nick hopes to keep making videos and growing his Patreon account as well as creating the best pieces he can. ‘I always want to be pushing my boundaries and learning new and exciting skills while bringing people along on the journey,’ he says.
@pedullastudio