Colonnade House is closed to the public from 5 November while government restrictions are in place.

Forge Creative’s exhibition at Colonnade House will focus mainly on their wooden tree ornaments which have become incredibly popular, so much so that Forge Creative decided to create a business just for them, to showcase their ornaments in their own space.

Colonnade House will be transformed into a busy woodland, viewers will be transported to a forested retreat where they can come in and browse the trees, create their own sets and take away a forest of their own.

Forge Creative is the partnership of designer-makers Josh Kennard and Oliver Milne. They founded the company in 2013 with an ambition to put their creative skills to something meaningful. Driven not by money but the goal of fulfilment in a day to day job. Since then Josh and Oli have built a portfolio of commissioned projects and have developed their own range of furniture and products that they continue to add to.

They are all about inspired design, stunning materials (responsibly sourced) and superior hand-crafted products. Whether it’s a dining table or a jewellery box, they love working with people to create something they will cherish. Our small team work personally on every project, ensuring it is made to the highest quality.

The Arboretum is a creative design studio situated in rural Sussex – and is focused on making small wooden, abstract interpretations of tree forms called… well, Trees of course!

It all starts with an appreciation for the natural beauty of wood. If you’re like Forge Creative, then you may have the tendency to collect natural objects like shells, pine cones or fossils and take them home to put on display. Wood isn’t always pocket-sized and refined like these items but after a little work on the lathe, ending up with perfectly, formed, solid pieces of wood that is both tactile and visually pleasing from every angle. Experimenting with small wooden off-cuts, they began making simple tree-like forms that developed into more intricate interpretations as their skills grew. Soon they had a whole Arboretum’s worth of Trees.

The Trees are fun little home ornaments, kids playthings, desk toys or just tactile wooden objects. They don’t have a specific purpose and that’s ok. They are a celebration of the natural beauty of timber and an outlet of creativity. Each Tree is unique and beautiful in its own way and are sure to bring joy as they sprout up all over your home.

Open Tuesday – Saturday // 10.00  – 17.00