About Hugh Parsons

I am a Scottish cabinetmaker, artist and writer living by the sea in Portobello, Edinburgh.

For over fifteen years I worked in fine furniture making, designing and building pieces for private clients, public institutions and some of Scotland’s most significant heritage projects. Along the way I was fortunate to work on commissions for Edinburgh Castle, the British Council and the restoration of Charles Rennie Mackintosh’s Oak Room, as well as teaching at the Chippendale International School of Furniture.

Before becoming a cabinetmaker I trained in architecture, and that influence still runs through everything I create. Whether I am making furniture, carving timber, designing public sculpture or writing stories, I am fascinated by the relationship between people, objects and place.

Illness forced an unexpected change in direction. After years of living with ME/CFS and Long Covid, I could no longer work at the pace that traditional furniture making demanded. Rather than stop creating, I began exploring new ways of working. Today my practice combines cabinetmaking, carving, marquetry, drawing, collecting and writing.

Many of my projects begin with found objects, local stories and the Scottish landscape. Driftwood from the beach. Forgotten furniture. Folklore. Family history. Curious tools. Things that carry traces of the people who made and used them. I am interested in craftsmanship not simply as a way of making beautiful things, but as a way of paying attention to the world.

My current work includes hand-carved objects, marquetry artworks, public art proposals and Making It – The Book of Shug, an illustrated memoir that explores craft, creativity, resilience and the people who shaped my life.

At heart, I am simply a maker.

I believe good work should be honest, useful, beautiful and made to last.

And I believe every object has a story

See PRESS AND EXHIBITIONS

See photos from the Edinburgh CASTLE ARCHIVE

TESTIMONIALS

“Its always a joy to work with Hugh; his eye for detail and his crisp contemporary design style which is firmly rooted in traditional skills makes him perfect for bespoke commissions.”

Jane Adams, Author Interiors 

“A friend of mine who had two chairs made by Hugh recommended him as I was searching for someone to convert a bedroom into a library to house a collection of botanical and horticultural books. Hugh visited and made various recommendations of style to suit the period of the house and also wood types which would take the weight but also be realistically affordable. His reliability and attention to detail at all stages of the project was very reassuring and the final result was very pleasing indeed - we were totally satisfied and very much enjoy using the room. For workmanship, competence and friendly attitude to customers I would highly recommend Hugh.”

Phil, Galashiels

“Hugh has very good experience, skills and understanding of making and in particular wood as a material. He has done several involved jobs for me and I was very happy to trust his skills and judgment in all stages of taking a project to completion.”

Sam, Edinburgh

“Hugh has designed and managed the construction of various projects for me in recent years, including a lean-to greenhouse in cedar and the renovation of large bi-folding garage doors. His technical expertise, and design and project management skills are second to none, and he is always the first person that I call for friendly and frank advice when I have a new project in mind.”

Al, Edinburgh

“We chose to use Hugh Parsons to design and make a variety of bespoke furniture. Everything from oak top bars, tables and benches, fire pits and doors.  All the work was completed to the highest of standard and always completed on time and at a good price. He is also a good guy, which makes working with him easy and stress free.”

Matthew Stephenson, Event-In-A-Tent

“Hugh designed and built a magnificent kitchen table from reclaimed oak and four chairs from new elm. He assured us that these would go together well and have great character. He was right; when he delivered them (on time, in budget) we fell in love with them immediately- an heirloom that gives us great pleasure every day. When he told us how many weeks they took to build I was amazed; not cheap but excellent value. I would certainly ask him to do other projects.” 

Graham Wilkinson, Edinburgh

“The sofa you have made for us is superb, it is really comfortable, it is beautiful to look at and lovely to touch and stroke; a bit like our cat. She spends ages slumped on it, which in our house is definitely a seal of approval. I admire the craftsmanship every day and think to myself; "I wonder how he did that"? And the cushions, all of them are just as good. It is a great improvement to our furniture. In addition, we thought that you were very prompt, and accurate with the delivery date; this was ideal. And we think that it is good value as well.”

Charles and Alison Smith, Aberdeen

"A very tidily planned installation that required precision and care. The glass screens and fittings are robust and work very well. Delighted with the result."

Andy, Edinburgh

“A film piece I was art directing required close up shots of a whisky maker turning barley. Knowing this would be a key prop I commissioned Hugh Parsons to hand craft a wooden malt shovel using traditional methods. His attention to detail created genuine authenticity, adding huge value to the final cut.”

Paul Lambie, Portobello