Clare Ng

Clare Ng

From Young Furniture Makers Award winner to Bespoke Guild Mark holder

Clare Ng was blown away when her Gemini Cabinet was awarded first place in the Young Furniture Maker Bespoke Award category sponsored by Axminster Tools at the 2022 Young Furniture Makers exhibition.

One year on and the talented graduate of the Waters and Acland Furniture School is revelling in the recent news that the Gemini Cabinet has been awarded a Bespoke Guild Mark, the apex of distinctions for designer-makers.

Named after the fabled identical twins of the zodiac, the Gemini Cabinet gets its namesake from its two
symmetrical doors featuring beautifully carved sculptural handles. Made entirely from European
oak, the cabinet has soft and silky-smooth edges that radiate warmth and make it very tactile. What
looks to be a static central shelf in the cabinet is brought to life thanks to a magnetic mechanism
which allows the user to smoothly spin the centre section to reveal more shelving.

The Gemini Cabinet was awarded Bespoke Guild Mark 485 in July 2023. The prestigious award recognises excellence in design, materials, craftsmanship and function for exquisite pieces of
furniture made as single items or a limited run of up to 12.

Clare said: “I am incredibly proud to receive the Bespoke Guild Mark. It is truly an honour to receive this accolade from the highest recognition of the industry. I couldn’t be more thankful for all the support I received throughout the entire process of creating the Gemini Cabinet. This strong recognition is also a reminder for my future self to stay passionate and dedicated in this journey and I am excited to see what the future will bring.”

Daniel Hopwood, Bespoke Guild Mark chairman, said: “The Gemini Cabinet is an outstanding design and worthy of a Bespoke Guild Mark. The fact that Clare is producing such exceptional pieces of furniture so early in her career is sensational. Many congratulations to her. We encourage exhibitors at the Young Furniture Makers exhibition to put forward a Bespoke Guild Mark application for their piece, if they believe it meets the criteria.”