Bringing the Enchanted Woodland Throne to Life for Warnham School

Creating a custom-made piece of furniture is always a rewarding journey, but when it’s designed for a school’s PTFA, it takes on a special kind of significance. Recently, we had the joy of bringing an Enchanted Woodland Storytelling Chair to life for the Warnham School PTFA. This beautifully crafted throne, adorned with intricate carvings of woodland creatures, was designed to inspire imagination and storytelling in the school’s outdoor space.

The project began when Roz Owens, Chair of the Warnham PTFA, approached us with the idea of creating a storytelling chair that would become the centerpiece of their outdoor area. Roz and her team envisioned a chair that would capture the magic of the woodland and encourage children to embrace the joy of storytelling and reading.

We settled on a design that featured a mix of hand-carved woodland animals: a deer, fox, badger, rabbit, squirrel, and a tiny hedgehog, all brought to life with intricate detailing. The chair also bears the inscription, “Let your light shine” (Matthew 5:16), symbolising the light that storytelling brings to young minds and hearts.

Each carving was meticulously shaped to highlight the playful character of the animals, while the twisting branches that form the arms of the chair add to the enchanted, storybook feel of the piece. The entire throne is made from sustainably sourced oak, ensuring that it’s as strong and enduring as the memories it will help create.

Roz shared her thoughts in a heartfelt testimonial:

“Hi Suzanne, I just wanted to drop you a line to say a huge THANK YOU for your help with our storytelling chair! It was delivered on Friday and has been moved into its final position this morning. It looks amazing. We are absolutely thrilled with the end result and really cannot thank you enough for helping to turn our vision into reality. We've (hopefully!) tagged you in our Facebook post this morning to say thank you too.”

Knowing that the children at Warnham School will gather around this chair, sharing stories and creating new ones, fills us with pride and joy. This project truly reflects the spirit of what we do at Free Range Designs—creating beautiful, bespoke furniture that becomes part of the stories and experiences that people cherish.

We hope this Enchanted Woodland Storytelling Throne will inspire many magical moments and be a treasured part of Warnham School for years to come!