Hope in the Woods

Designer and maker Luke Hope studied design but took a twenty-year design detour before returning to his creative path. "I was drawn in by the process initially, by the feeling of making: of working quietly, slowly... just me and the material. But it's become much more," he says, having decided in 2015 to dedicate himself fully to designing and making. 

His design studio Hope in the Woods specialises in the creation of elegant wooden tableware, hand carving and shaping an array of wooden objects and utensils. The delicate lines and curves of these designs transform the most rudimentary objects into miniature sculptures distinguished by a compelling tactile quality.

Using a range of woods that typically favour subtle grain pattern and contrasting light and dark colours Hope often works in an improvisational manner, taking inspiration from the material and the way that the light plays with the forms during the initial designing and making process.

Hope's work has recently broadened to explore the relationship between art and craft, and invitations to exhibit have led to the creation of larger works and sculptural pieces for galleries. 

“Ultimately," he says, "it’s about being part of the entire process - my relationship with the design, materials, tools and resulting objects and how these then make people feel. Be it an object they use or simply look at, I want people to be drawn in to the forms. To stop and think, to feel a sense of wonder and connection.” 

Hope in the Woods designs are made by hand from responsibly sourced wood which has been foraged, recycled, reclaimed or sustainably grown.