A career in London, a return home during lockdown, and a love of working with my hands that grew, quietly, into a space at Myreside Grange in the Chippendale Graduate Studio, East Lothian.
After graduating from university, I began my career in London — but it quickly became clear my interests lay elsewhere. During lockdown I returned home and took on local outdoor carpentry projects, and rediscovered the satisfaction of making and building by hand.
Through that practical work my focus shifted from construction to craft, and I developed a deeper appreciation for structure, material, and the expressive potential of wood. It led to an opportunity with a local furniture maker, where I refined my skills and was proud to contribute to pieces later featured in publications.
Driven by a desire to design and make furniture from start to finish, I went on to train at the Chippendale International School of Furniture. I now design and produce work under my own studio, Matthew Kealey Furniture — considered pieces rooted in craftsmanship, material honesty, and longevity.
I work from a space at Myreside Grange, in the Chippendale Graduate Studio — a working studio in the East Lothian countryside, half an hour east of Edinburgh.
Visits can be arranged by appointment — the work is best understood up close.
Browse the collection, or commission a bespoke piece designed around your room.