Artichoke
Meet Bruce Hodgson, the visionary founder behind Artichoke, a brand synonymous with timeless design. From its modest beginnings in a West Country workshop to its current renown as a beacon of master craftsmanship in Somerset, UK, Artichoke has transformed the landscape of luxury interiors. Bruce’s early fascination with woodwork and his journey through the prestigious London College of Furniture laid the foundation for a brand that today caters to the world’s most exquisite homes. Here, Bruce shares the story of Artichoke’s evolution, its commitment to enduring quality, and the art of creating spaces that are as historic as they are modern. Dive into our conversation about heritage, craftsmanship, and the future of luxury design with one of the industry’s most respected figures.
The Kitchen, The New Institute, Hamburg.
CAN YOU SHARE THE STORY OF HOW ARTICHOKE CAME TO BE, FROM ITS HUMBLE BEGINNINGS TO ITS CURRENT STATUS AS A RENOWNED LUXURY DESIGN BRAND?
Even from a young age, I’ve had a natural aptitude for working with wood, spending hours in my school’s Design & Technology department. After training at London’s College of Furniture, my very first commission was to design and make some bookshelves for our neighbour at the time. When the shelves were finished, the client threw a party for their friends – word swiftly spread and I was well on my way with more commissions. I then set up as a one–man–band with a single workbench in the West Country. That was more than thirty years ago and Artichoke is now a team of fifty here in Somerset, UK. We have a state-of-the-art workshop and a fully-fledged design studio which encompasses architecture, conservation, engineering, project management, interior design, installation and the making of architectural joinery.
“We count ourselves very privileged to work with clients who have some of the finest homes in the world.”
WHAT SETS ARTICHOKE APART FROM OTHER LUXURY DESIGN AND INTERIORS BRANDS?
We are unusual in that we work on whole houses – both contemporary and historic, all over the world and can manage all aspects of a design, make and build for our clients. Period and listed homes can be complex and require expert knowledge with projects often running over several years. This is one of the reasons why we choose to look after just a handful of select clients a year.
“Every detail of what we create for our clients is entirely unique. The quality of what we are creating is designed and made to stand the test of time and last for generations to come.”
Our holistic, atypical approach has set us in good stead and we are currently booked up until late 2026.
The Kitchen, The New Institute, Hamburg.
AS THE FOUNDER OF ARTICHOKE, WHAT INITIALLY DREW YOU TO THE FIELD OF ARCHITECTURAL JOINERY?
“I consider myself a lifelong apprentice, there is a joy in improving and preserving heritage architecture for the next custodians and I don’t take the responsibility lightly.”
It is always fascinating to see how people live, to understand their philosophies and I get to indulge in my love of design and making.
HOW HAS YOUR FASCINATION WITH CLASSICAL PRINCIPLES INFLUENCED THE BRAND'S DESIGN ETHOS?
Through working on a number of significant, listed houses, we have developed a flair for creating rooms which give the impression of having always been there. Our clients are often seeking this aesthetic along with outstanding quality. It is a very specific skill to understand the full potential and the practical application of internal joinery; cementing our reputation for elegant and sensitive designs.
Edwardian Luxury Kitchen for Historic Country House.
WITH PROJECTS SPANNING ACROSS VARIOUS LOCATIONS GLOBALLY, HOW DOES ARTICHOKE ENSURE THAT ITS DESIGNS RESONATE WITH DIFFERENT CULTURAL CONTEXTS WHILE MAINTAINING ITS SIGNATURE STYLE AND QUALITY?
“I would say that our concepts are more site specific, being responsive to the architecture along with how our clients like to live.”
It isn’t unusual for us to have multi–home repeat commissions from one client spanning different countries. They put their trust in us to create the best possible home for them and it is part of our job to build meaningful relationships with them to intuitively understand their needs.
YOU'VE MENTIONED IN OTHER INTERVIEWS THAT TIME IS A CRUCIAL TOOL IN THE CREATION OF FINE JOINERY. HOW DO YOU BALANCE THE NEED FOR METICULOUS CRAFTSMANSHIP WITH THE PRACTICAL CONSTRAINTS OF PROJECT TIMELINES AND CLIENT EXPECTATIONS?
On a larger spectrum – in paying tribute to the past, we create sophisticated present-day homes that stand as a testament for future generations. We provide the best quality and service in our field with an uncompromising attention to detail and when working without compromise, we owe it to our clients to never shy from the truth – this is one of Artichoke’s lodestone values.
Our industry often merits speed however, we understand that if rushed, defects can become apparent down the line. This is especially true when working with a natural material such as wood, which has a lot of movement if not handled carefully.
“The finer details take time and working in this way requires sophisticated sequencing and scheduling, as well as the meticulous preparation of materials.”
For example, our timber has time to settle in Artichoke’s humidity controlled woodstore – each piece is individually selected for its quality, we monitor moisture content and check when it’s prime to be worked with. This process can often be repeated multiple times until we absolutely know that the material is ready.
The Home Bar, The New Institute, Hamburg.
CAN YOU ELABORATE ON HOW YOU APPROACH THE DESIGN PROCESS TO ENSURE THAT EVERY DETAIL SERVES A PURPOSE WHILE MAINTAINING AESTHETIC INTEGRITY?
For me, it’s about surrounding myself with the best people.
“We have a fairly eclectic team of varying experts in different fields, from fully qualified architects to master craftspeople.”
Projects transition through our well–oiled process of concept, detail, engineering and making with creativity, responsibility and quality at the core.
HOW DOES ARTICHOKE INTEGRATE SUSTAINABILITY AND COMMUNITY–BUILDING INTO ITS BUSINESS PRACTICES, FROM MATERIAL SOURCING TO SUPPORTING LOCAL TALENT?
“We are endeavouring to improve our day–to–day environmental impact, however the big topic for us in terms of sustainability is longevity.”
During the pandemic, the consumption of what I call “fast furniture” was colossal. We are seeing the global impact of poor quality, throwaway furniture pieces which unfortunately are mostly destined to end up in landfill at some point. We are making pieces to endure not only lifetimes but generations and hope to inspire others to raise the bar in terms of creating quality pieces that last. This is a topic that we will be talking more about at our New Makers’ Conference this month.
Regency Country House.
COULD YOU TELL US MORE ABOUT YOUR INITIATIVES, SUCH AS THE ARTICHOKE SCHOOL OF FURNITURE AND THE MAKERS' CONFERENCE, AND THEIR IMPACT ON THE WIDER COMMUNITY?
As a business it’s important for us to support and inspire the next generation of makers and I am also incredibly passionate about nurturing young talent. Sadly, without investment of both time and resources in grass–roots education we would likely see traditional hand-skills die out. We host the annual New Makers’ Conference here in Somerset in partnership with The Furniture Makers’ Company – it’s an insightful industry event aimed at fledgling makers and businesses with talks by leading industry brands and a chance to network with peers. We take on two apprentices a year and we launched The Artichoke School of Furniture here in the workshop as a free course for local school students to try their hand at woodwork.
“It takes ten years to train as a master cabinetmaker, so it is essential that we play our part.”
The Kitchen, The New Institute, Hamburg.
HOW DOES ARTICHOKE LEVERAGE PLATFORMS LIKE INSTAGRAM AND LINKEDIN TO SHOWCASE ITS WORK AND ENGAGE WITH CLIENTS AND FOLLOWERS? HOW HAS THIS RELATIONSHIP CHANGED OVER TIME?
Instagram is a fast–growing platform for us. Rather than generating new project leads it’s more about establishing Artichoke as a world renown, luxury brand that is up there with other master makers. We want to be mentioned in the same breath as Patek Philippe, Chanel or Aston Martin for example.
“As the nature of what we do is so aspirational, working with some of the most famous people on the planet, we aim to lead rather than follow whilst inspiring others along the way.”
LinkedIn is a valuable outlet for brand and industry news, for example we will be sharing the launch of our new website imminently.
WITH A FOCUS ON PERIOD HOMES AND CLASSICAL PRINCIPLES, HOW DOES ARTICHOKE BALANCE PRESERVING HERITAGE ARCHITECTURE WITH MEETING THE EVOLVING NEEDS AND LIFESTYLES OF CONTEMPORARY HOMEOWNERS?
“Homes should be both beautiful and functional.”
A signature Artichoke approach is to create a room within a room to create the ideal aesthetic and practical proportions. This approach enables us to embed custom joinery that feels part of an original room and also house state–of–the–art appliances, entertainment systems, secret doors and bars. Our team relishes the challenge to engineer a custom piece to fit a certain space or to solve a design challenge.
Art Deco Kitchen, Modern Arts and Crafts Mansion, Cheshire.
CAN YOU SHARE A PARTICULARLY MEMORABLE PROJECT THAT CHALLENGED CONVENTIONAL DESIGN NORMS AND PUSHED THE BOUNDARIES OF CREATIVITY?
We created a remarkable study for one of our clients in Switzerland. This unique room is inspired by Lord Nelson’s private study onboard HMS Victory with elaborate panelling made from English sweet chestnut. There were conservation challenges to overcome as well as other complex features to incorporate, such as bespoke security doors, a bar, secret panels and even a large antique safe as a focal point. We handmade an enormous “grand desk” which stands at more than two and a half metres wide. The desk features brass rails and carved details as nautical references with walnut burr veneer and an integrated lift–up monitor hidden below the leather worktop.
HOW DO YOU INCORPORATE MODERN TECHNOLOGIES AND TECHNIQUES WHILE PRESERVING THE TIME-HONORED CRAFTSMANSHIP THAT DEFINES THE BRAND?
“People are always going to have a love for craft and beautiful pieces that are handmade. In the rapid–changing world of AI, I believe that pieces with a human touch will endure as symbols of luxury.”
Artichoke embraces technology, and our workshop has some of the most advanced kit there is, but ultimately it comes down to what methods achieve the best finish, quality and longevity.
A Purist's Kitchen, Hampshire.
HOW DOES ARTICHOKE APPROACH SUSTAINABILITY IN TERMS OF MATERIAL SOURCING, WASTE REDUCTION, AND LONG-TERM DURABILITY?
We source our timber from a single independent British supplier and their sustainably managed woodland – the family business has been around for over 160 years so we know where the wood comes from and that it is second-to-none quality.
“We are very lucky here in Somerset to have a thriving community of artisans and we like to work with like–minded local people if we can.”
favourite is John Boyd Textiles who are just down the road from Artichoke in Castle Cary. Established since the 1800’s, they are one of the few remaining horsehair cloth weavers using the original looms and traditional methods. Horsehair fabric was favoured by historic designers such as Lutyens and Chippendale for their unequalled lustre and longevity, which is why we use them for our projects.
We are also working with Edward Bulmer Natural Paints who are leaders in their field in terms of sustainability and low–environmental impact. Their paints have beautifully rich pigments and the heritage palette works well with our projects.
Early 20th Century Villa, Tuscany.