Matthew McDowell-Coston | The Furniture Society

Photo Credit: Hel Hamilton

The Paddington Suitcase

Cherry, Eucalyptus, Maple, Total Boat Resin / 2023

Functional locks and marmalade handle

Learn more about Matthew

About

Meet Matthew Coston.

Wood working has always been an interest of his. In the early years of his life he lived in Nigeria where he had the fortune of witnessing all sorts of wood working. This varied from very intricate carvings of all sizes; as well as, hand crafted pieces of furniture. Then in his teenage years he moved to Qatar. Here he meandered around a store that took him on an adventure through time as many of the pieces were made of doors and materials from decades to centuries old. After living overseas for most of his life he would return to the United States. In his mid 20’s he attend a furniture making class at Heritage School of Woodworking in Waco, Texas. This would ignite his passion for woodworking and more importantly his passion for hand tools. He then stumbled into carving figurines and utensils. He also spent many hours turning bowls and pens. Eventually he came across Vermont Woodworking School, which provided him with the necessary knowledge he was lacking with power tools. He enjoys designing unique pieces of furniture that draw inspiration from different forms of media; as well as, using different mediums to add a special twist to his designs. Lastly one of his favorite things about woodworking is the shushing sound of a very hand sharp plane skating across a piece of wood.