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Find a Weekend Course to suit you here | RHS on Instagram | NEW 19 Week Course details here.
robinson house studio

Marc Fish

furniture school

Tel: +44 (0)1273 513611

Email: info@marcfish.co.uk.

· RHS 19 & 50 week Furniture Design & Makers’ Courses next start: 22nd April 2025 & 8th September 2025.
· The 50 Week Furniture Design & Makers’ course has been credit rated by SQA at SCQF Level 8. Read more.
· Join our Mailing list here | Read our 5 * reviews on Google.

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    • senior tutor – Theo Cook
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Robinson House Studio students at work

Robinson House Studio students at work

Robinson House Studio students at work

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Gift Vouchers

Looking for an unusual gift or experience?
Why not buy a course gift voucher for a loved one this year? The vouchers can be for any amount and the recipient can redeem it against any course here at robinson house studio. Weekend courses start at £295.
More details here: marcfish.co.uk/gift-vouchers.

I have completed two weekends courses here. The plane making course with Theo and the wood finishing course with Marc. Both were great. They're fantastic at what they do and were happy answering any questions. At the end of each course I was a lot more clued up on the subject and my work is improving thanks to them

Harry Lenton

Read more of RHS's reviews here on Google.

Weekend Courses

  • Carbon Fibre and Composites Weekend Class

    Next courses: 30th Nov & 1st Dec 2024 | 8th & 9th Feb. 2025. This course provides hands-on experience of the sophisticated techniques used in the composites industry. Cost £480. Tutor: Theo Cook.

  • French Polishing with Derek Jones

    Next course: 16th May, 2025. A one day course on French polishing with shellac, run by Derek Jones, once editor of Furniture & Cabinetmaking magazine and author of French Polishing, Finishing & Restoring Using Traditional Techniques. Cost £195.

  • Introduction to Hand Tools for Furniture Making
    Marc Fish's tool board

    Next course: dates TBA. Covering hand tools, there will be practical sessions on planing, sawing and chiseling – forming the ideal starting point for cutting and fitting accurate joints. Cost: £150. Tutor: Theo Cook.

  • Japanese Toolbox with Derek Jones

    Next course: 2025 dates TBC. Japanese style joinery can be extremely complicated but there are occasions when simplicity and function come together to make the perfect form. Cost: £295. Tutor: Derek Jones.

  • Laminating Weekend Class
    Laminating weekend class with Marc Fish

    Next course: 31st May & 1st June, 2025. Experience these amazing techniques and take your work to a different level! As laminating is more accurate than steam bending, it is ideal for combining sculptural work with fine cabinet making. Cost: £295. Tutor: Marc Fish.

  • Make a Cricket Table
    Derek Jones at Robinson House Studio

    Next course: TBA. This course is taught by expert maker Derek Jones. The key principles for building a cricket table are simplicity, necessity and ingenuity. Using just two types of joint it’s possible to create a robust structure from almost any species of wood that can be used to make a variety of different pieces of furniture.

  • Make A Six Board Chest with Derek Jones

    Next course: 2025 dates TBC. The six board chest is a design that is almost as old as the concept of furniture itself and is as relevant today as it has ever been. Cost: £295. Tutor: Derek Jones.

  • Make a Wooden Hand Plane with Theo Cook
    How to make a wooden hand plane weekend

    Next courses: 25th, 26th & 27th Oct. 2024 and 24th, 25th & 26th Oct. 2025. Learn how to make a wooden plane. This will involve skills such as band-sawing, routing, drilling, shaping with a spokeshave, sanding and finishing. A 3 day course. Cost: £400. Tutor: Theo Cook.

  • Making Jigs & Templates
    Andrew Strickland RHS cabinet making student

    Next course: date TBA. Learn how to make your own jigs and templates at this one-day course with senior tutor and master craftsman, Theo Cook. The course covers making jigs by hand as well as the use of CAD programs, laser-cutter, and a CNC router. Cost: £195.00.

  • Making the Perfect Dovetails Weekend Class

    Next course: 22nd & 23rd March, 2025 and 15th & 16th Nov. 2025. Ideal if you want to know more about the mark of a master craftsman – the dovetail joint! When well-executed it is the epitome of high-level work. Cost: £295.

  • RHS Newsletter & Instagram
    Student Elliott Butterwick's flooded fens console table

    Keep up-to-date with RHS news about Taster week courses, Weekend classes and Student work here on our Instagram account.

  • Spindle Moulding Weekend Class

    Next course: dates TBA. The spindle moulder is a versatile machine – we cover safe use and setup, rebating, shaping, using formers, tenons, power feeds, jig making, and guarding. Cost: £295. Tutor: Derek Jones.

  • Staked Stool with Derek Jones
    Staked Stool with Derek Jones

    Next course: 2025 dates TBC. This three day course takes you through completing a three-legged stool. Using through-tenoned construction (now known as “staked”construction) is a skill worth learning for any furniture maker. Three legs instead of four means the stool will never wobble, no matter what floor it’s sitting on, the mortise layout is simple, and, of course, there’s one less leg to make! Cost: £295. Tutor: Derek Jones.

  • Steam Bending with Charlie Whinney – 1 Day

    Next course: 19th July 2025. Steam bending is an ancient woodworking process which is found on every continent. Charlie is the UK’s leading steam bending expert; his work is sold internationally and can be found in museums, private residences and commercial premises. Cost: £240 – 1 day.

View all Weekend Courses

Course Booking T&Cs

Please ensure you have read the Terms and Conditions for booking courses before making a payment:

Booking Terms and Conditions – PDF 121Kb

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Students' Work

James Dabell's cabinet made at marc fish

View some of the stunning student work produced at robinson house studio.

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Testimonials

During my time at Robinson house studio I learnt how to combine traditional making techniques with modern design.
Dan Ryder Cook
Having left school to join the creative industry, I wasn’t sure where to start. After researching areas, I was interested in I found that Marc’s courses and ‘robinson house studio’ were exactly what I was looking for as I wanted to explore various elements of design within the industry. When I found Marc’s course online we had a long chat about what I can achieve within the course, what his work entails, his design philosophy and teaching method. It was an easy choice after that to sig… Read more
Christian Watson
I followed Marc’s 12 week course and am delighted with what I learned and achieved. Marc is an excellent teacher. He is thorough and patient and adapts his advice well to the ability and confidence of each and every student.
Duncan White
Prior to my time at robinson house studio I had worked as a carpenter both on site and in a workshop. I realised I wanted to pursue making bespoke fine furniture and felt that a course with Marc at the studio offered in-depth cabinet making tuition as well as the opportunity to explore design. It certainly proved to be an exciting environment to be a part of, with emphasis on contemporary design and the use of innovative new materials and techniques.
Luke Olney
Having worked in Software Engineering for a lifetime, I wanted to develop practical skills with tangible results and hopefully make something I could be proud of. The course has provided me with an insight into the exacting standards necessary to create fine furniture and is equipping me with the key skills. I have particularly enjoyed Marc’s enthusiasm for the design elements, his encouragement to challenge traditional design and to be open to a breadth of inputs/influences.
Gordon White
My year course at Robinson House Studio has been a very valuable experience thanks to the high quality learning environment that Marc Fish offers to his students. Marc adapts his teaching to each individual according to their skills and confidence, taking care of our progress with infinite patience. I found Marc’s passionate approach to furniture design & making a vibrant artistic echo to explore my own creative expectations, and to turn my design ideas into consistent furniture pieces. I apprec… Read more
Thibaut Degenne

Stay in Touch

We send a newsletter out approximately 4 times a year with new course dates, students’ success stories, general news and updates at the studio. You can unsubscribe at any time. Sign-up here.

Our Address:

robinson house studio,
Unit E1 & 2 Eastside Business Park,
Beach Road, Newhaven,
East Sussex. BN9 0FB – N.B. some sat-nav maps have the wrong location for our postcode! Be sure to check it takes you to our address.

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5* Google Reviews

We are delighted to have 5 * Google reviews from our students. View them here.

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Beautiful bedside tables made by Toby Ackerman for Beautiful bedside tables made by Toby Ackerman for his third project on our 50 weeks furniture design and makers' course. Laminated walnut carcass with solid wood drawer fronts and legs that are inspired by Japanese shoji screens the cabinet also has a drawer on the top with a sliding screen underneath. The screen itself was slide in channels that continue down the legs of the table. Inspired by traditional Japanese shoji screens which are normally used in timber frames with a paper backing. In trying to incorporate the sliding of this screens it seemed an interesting twist to have the screen more vertical rather than horizontal this would mean using a sash window inspired pulley system which counterbalances the screen and allows it to move effortlessly using the sash windows as a reference. The screen sits in a channel which continues down the legs of the table to allow the screen to move the counterweights balance on pulley which are hidden inside the legs. The tables also have a step which allows the user to place books and other objects easily on the tabletop. The project plays with the simple concept of the moving screen door but in the concept of a bedside table, the designs on the front also take inspiration from the graphics of Bauhaus and designers such as Eileen Grey and Charlotte Perriand. Well Done Toby! Great final project.👏
Inside out Jewellery box Designed and made by Toby Inside out Jewellery box Designed and made by Toby Ackerman English oak box with laminated bog oak dividers and suede-lined bottom. With a box commonly aiming to be a purely functional object to hold items of value, this particular box contrastingly has a slightly dysfunctional function, which seeks to create a moment of excitement upon opening it. Inspired by the skylights in Enric Miralles’ Scottish parliament building, the dividers inside the box create an intertwined central compartment, leading the functions of the box to be up for interpretation by the user. #designerbox #box #woodworking #BespokeDesign #furniture #designer #handcrafted #furnituremaker #collectibles #furnituredesign #handmade #craftsmanship #wood #making #maker
Beautiful tea box made by designer maker Jamie Fur Beautiful tea box made by designer maker Jamie Furlong for his first project at robinson house studio. Made from fumed Eucalyptus and rippled sycamore finished with a high gloss. Jamie has been working as a furniture designer making since completing his 50 week Design and makers' course with us two years ago. @jamiefurlongltd #box #handcrafted #BespokeDesign #furniture #tools #woodworking #designerbox #furnituremaker #designer #designinspiration
It’s all go in the workshop today. We have two s It’s all go in the workshop today. We have two students finishing their 50 week Furniture design and makers’ course today, they are both making the most of their last few hours. Final pieces all finished and ready for photo shoot for their portfolios with @simoneldon photographer next week. If you’re interested in seeing this groups final pieces pop along to our Open weekend 21st-22nd September 11am - 4pm Saturday and Sunday @bananna_makes @somerset_furniture_design #furniture #furnituredesign #designer #bespoke #bespokefurniture #interiors #interiorstyling #wood #woodworking #handmade #handplane #future #design #innovation #fullpower #aheadofthecurve #woodwork
We have an amazing opportunity for the right candi We have an amazing opportunity for the right candidate. We are looking for a part-time tutoring assistant to help train our talented students. Full details are available on application. Please send your CV to admin@marcfish.co.uk.
Four very different boxes from our students on the Four very different boxes from our students on the furniture design and makers' course. All very well executed and handcrafted. Having spent the first 19 weeks completing set projects, this is the first project that they get to design themselves. It’s so amazing to see the progress from beginners learning how to use their tools to making a beautiful handcrafted box using all the skills that they have learnt on the first half of their course. Boxes by : @ackermakes @somerset_furniture_design @jessiehills.design @bananna_makes Ever wondered how furniture is made? Join us for our Open Weekend at 'robinson house studio' furniture school and have a close up look at some of the amazing pieces that will be on display and if you have been thinking about doing a short woodworking course come and discuss all the courses that we have on offer. #box #maker #craft #making #inspiration #designerbox #course #create #furnituredesign #makersgonnamake #furnituremaking #beginnerwoodworking #wood #beginner
A look back at one of our favourite box projects. A look back at one of our favourite box projects. This one was made by Guy Thomson. The concept behind the seigaiha sake box was to have a miniature drinks cabinet that retained a unified form when both open and closed.. When closed the box has a minimalistic cuboid form. Once opened the curved doors pin to the sides to create a continuous curved line forming the iconic Japanese Seigaiha wave shape. #maker #furnitureschool #making #inspiration #design #decor #finewoodworking #BespokeDesign #craft #furnituremaker #box #designerbox #sake #drinkscabinet
We have a carbon fibre and composite course on the We have a carbon fibre and composite course on the weekend of the 30th Nov and 1st Dec 2024. Book straight on via our website Total cost is £480 This two-day weekend course is an intensive, hands-on introduction to the sophisticated techniques used in the composites industry. It’s perfect for complete beginners, as well as those with some knowledge or experience in working with composites. #furnitureschool #homedesign #cabinetmaker #making #sculpture #maker #handmade #car #carbonfiber #carbonfiber #carbonfiber #carbon #courses #course
Students are currently working on the stool projec Students are currently working on the stool project. They have machined all the pieces and it is about to all come together. #stool #woodworking #furnituredesign #furniture #furnitureschool #carpentry #cabinetmaking #handmade #bespoke #love
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