The Kilford family name dates back to the 13th century.
The family was allowed to “kill” one deer per year for keeping a “ford”.
Kilford Furniture Makers was born in Durham, in the north of England, where craft and character tend to grow side by side.
Our story begins with Dan — a maker, a musician, and someone who’s always searched for rhythm, whether in life, in music, or in the grain of a piece of wood. He grew up in Durham during lean years, when creativity wasn’t a hobby but a way to make something out of very little. In a small workshop that always smelled of sawdust, his grandfather Joe taught him what patience really means — how to measure twice, how to finish something properly, and how to care about the work you do. Those quiet lessons stuck.
Music came next. Through the strings and the rhythm, Dan learned that making something beautiful is less about control and more about listening. The same is true for wood — every piece has its own tone, its own way of moving if you listen closely enough.
That way of working — careful, curious, and grounded — became the heart of Kilford Furniture Makers. Today, our small team continues what Dan began: shaping furniture that feels as lasting as it looks, designed to be lived with, not just looked at.
Each piece is built slowly, honestly, and with a musician’s attention to rhythm and balance. Because for us, making furniture isn’t about production. It’s about expression — like music you can touch.
About us
Creating bespoke wooden furniture that resonates like a timeless melody, blending artistry, functionality, and beauty to inspire and endure for generations.
Our Vision
Our Mission
Crafting unique pieces of furniture with the same passion and precision as composing music – listening to the wood, understanding its story, and shaping it into designs that harmonize with each client’s life and space.
Meet the Team
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Dan Kilford
Founder, Craftsman of Fine Furniture & Tea Alchemist
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Forster C Hall
Apprentice Extraordinaire, Head of Morale & Facial Hair Affairs
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Ivana Maric
Head of Operations & Strategy, Bottle Washer
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Widget & Sprocket
Commanders-in-chief, Moral Support & Official Snack Inspectors
The Workshop
Our workshop sits tucked away in a quiet corner of a small industrial estate in Durham. From the outside, it doesn’t look like much — just another unit with a heavy door and the faint scent of sawdust in the air. But step inside, and the world changes a little.
This is where rhythm takes form. The hum of machinery blends with the scrape of hand tools, and the air carries that familiar mix of oak dust and oil. Old tools share space with new ones; time-honoured methods meet careful innovation. It’s a place that feels alive — shaped as much by the people who work here as by the pieces they create.
Every mark on the benches, every worn handle, tells its own story. The workshop has its own kind of warmth — not just from the timber and the tea always brewing, but from the quiet conversations, the laughter, and the shared focus of making something that matters.
For us, this isn’t just where furniture is built. It’s where ideas grow, friendships take root, and each piece begins its life — one note, one cut, one rhythm at a time.
Well done - you found it!
Every piece we make holds a small, hidden mark — our quiet signature. It’s not there to be seen right away, but to be discovered in your own time. Maybe when the light shifts, or when your hand lingers over the surface a little longer.
It’s our way of saying thank you — for choosing something made with care, for noticing the details, and for giving our work a place in your home. But it’s also a gentle reminder to pause. To breathe. To find joy in the little things, and to let stillness have its moment too.
Like a rest between notes, it’s that quiet space that gives meaning to everything around it — a small harmony tucked inside the everyday.