David Tragen
Profile
“It all started one rainy day in 1995, after two months of being in Barcelona. It was pouring down and a friend and I were seeking shelter from what felt like a monsoon. We found ourselves on Calle Avingo and dived into Zeta Futon for cover. The shop was filled with furniture and lamps of all different materials, shapes and sizes, made by local designer-makers. It was a light bulb moment; that’s what I want to do.”
After having left Sheffield Hallam University in 1994 with a degree in International Business David spent a year working in Italy before moving to Barcelona. He had come to the city hoping to be inspired by the its air of creativity. Having found such inspiration so early on, the next six years were spent passionately pursuing the goal of being a top furniture designer-maker.
The early years were spent restoring and transforming discarded pieces of furniture and making lamps in his tiny 2x2 metre workshop in the spare room of his flat. His self taught woodworking skills were supplemented by specialised courses in marquetry and carving before deciding to study Art and Design.
Having completed various projects for bars and restaurants as well as private clients in both Barcelona and Ibiza David felt that in order to be able to interpret the more complex wishes of his clients he would need to train further.
He decided to return to Britain in 2002 to study and gain more work experience. With excellence being his objective, he chose to train with David Savage for a year in one of the best workshops in Britain. On completing the course he was selected by world-class Silver Lining Workshops to work as a cabinet-maker and after gaining a year´s experience with them, he decided to set up his own company, Tragen Design.
Based in Manchester, he now designs and produces handmade furniture of the highest quality, mostly for clients in the Manchester and Cheshire areas.
“What really excites me about my work is interpreting my clients’ ideas and turning the intangible into finished pieces of furniture. I love the whole process from sketching the initial ideas to seeing the shavings coming off my hand-plane and of course delivering the finished piece to a satisfied client. To be able to make one’s living designing and working in wood, is truly a privilege.”
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