presenter profile : Paul Bradburn

Paul Bradburn studied 3D Design at Manchester University. He moved to Bristol in 1988, where he is still based, and began his design making career as a self-employed furniture maker. Sponsored by The Princes' Youth Business Trust, he exhibited at the Ideal Home exhibition in 1990
He spent several years in freezing cold workshops endeavouring with his designs, mainly freestanding private commissions.

In 1990 he converted an old barn in Worcestershire to use as workshop in a deal with a farmer for low rent. One of his most prestigious commissions was to make a Cathedral Bishop's chair for Dyham Park. He was based at the barn for three years then moved back to central Bristol.

From 1993 he began to get into more involved projects such as kitchens, house/flat refits and his parents' barn conversion whilst continuing to make interesting one-off freestanding pieces. Paul also produced designs for local kitchen and product manufacturers.

In 2000 Paul bought a 1950s piano warehouse in the centre of Bristol which had been empty for over 20 years and he began restoring it in 2001. This will become his new workshop. Behind the workshop area he is creating a large exhibition space to show his work and that of other local furniture makers and designers.

In the same year as starting the warehouse renovation, he also converted the top building at his parents' barn plot into a luxury studio for exclusive holiday lets and he took on his first interior design contract to redesign, furnish and decorate a large flat in Bath.

Work on the warehouse will be finished in Autumn 2003 – he is doing much of the building work himself. He is also developing a new side to his business with a prototype manufacturer, to sell the prototypes to larger manufacturers which would be put into production. They are also creating an in-house display and design studio for people who are looking for something special. Paul continues to take on one-off furniture commissions and interior design projects.