ercol and Sylva Foundation Celebrate British Craftsmanship with Exclusive New Furniture Collaboration

ercol is proud to announce the latest chapter in its partnership with Sylva Foundation, unveiling a limited-edition furniture collection handcrafted from home-grown British timber by participating students of the Sylva Wood School.

The collaboration reflects a shared commitment to championing sustainable woodland management, preserving traditional craft skills, and increasing the use of responsibly sourced British-grown timber in furniture-making for future generations.

Founded in 2009, Sylva Foundation is an environmental charity dedicated to sustaining a thriving, productive and sustainable future for Britain’s woodlands and wood culture. Through research, education and innovation, it supports woodland owners, makers and communities by promoting home-grown timber as a valuable natural resource sourced from well-managed woodlands.

At the heart of the partnership is the charity’s Sylva Wood School, a specialist training centre in Oxfordshire that equips a new generation of designers and makers with the skills to work confidently with timber grown in Britain. This year, students on the Wood School’s flagship six-month Professional Course collaborated with ercol to create a unique collection of four handcrafted furniture pieces, all made using Grown in Britain certified British ash.

Each piece is hand-finished in a white pigment oil that protects the timber while allowing the natural beauty of the ash – from pale creamy tones to subtle olive hues – to shine through.

The ercol x Sylva Foundation collection

Curved Stool – Featuring a gently sculpted seat, clean lines and traditional wedged tenon joints for strength and character.

"Sylva is three words to me: Community, Nature and Heritage. With the intention of reviving sustainable built-to-last products and Sylva’s commitment to environmental sustainability, craftsmanship and efforts in inclusion led me to choose this course. The time spent at Sylva has resulted in meeting so many excellent craftspeople and some lifelong friends."

Zein, Sylva Foundation Professional Course Student

Side Table – A tactile, versatile design with elegantly turned legs and a softly rounded form suited to contemporary and classic interiors alike.

"I was drawn to Sylva for its advocacy of home-grown timber and its commitment to situating craft within wider conversations around forestry, land use, and regenerative design - areas I see as essential to the future of furniture making."

Molly, Sylva Foundation Professional Course Student

Bedside Cabinet – Combining practical storage with refined craftsmanship, complete with a single drawer and galleried top.

"The Sylva bedside cabinet for Ercol was one of my favourite pieces to work on, made from (Grown in Britain) Ash, it’s a stunning design. The process enabled me to bring together multiple techniques and skills I had developed throughout the course."

Nicola, Sylva Foundation Professional Course Student

Bookcase – A compact and adaptable shelving piece with three sturdy shelves, including one adjustable shelf.

"It was the first project where I could really see my progress reflected in the quality of the work, and completing it left me genuinely proud of what I’d achieved."

Phillip, Sylva Foundation Professional Course Student

Produced in strictly limited numbers, the collection is available exclusively through ercol, all proceeds from sales will directly support Sylva Foundation’s charitable work, helping to fund woodland education, environmental research and future training opportunities.

https://www.ercol.com/en-gb/collections/sylva

All aforementioned items can be purchased from the link above.

Notes to Editors

Sylva Foundation is a national environmental charity working for a society that lives in harmony with nature, focusing on the stewardship of our forests and the utility of home-grown timber. It provides solutions to meet significant environmental challenges by innovating, collaborating, training, and advocating. Sylva Foundation is based in Oxfordshire where it runs a Wood Centre and Wood School, and is active across Britain thanks to its innovative software myForest which is used by many thousands of land owners and managers to support good woodland management and creation.

Website: www.sylva.org.uk

Permission to publish all images is granted.