Always Remember to Look Up!

Karen Osborne • October 17, 2025

In addition to crafting beautiful, handcrafted furniture, log holders, garden pieces, and gifts, Industrial Modern Furniture also undertakes individual commissions. This blog tells the inspiring story of one such piece, ultimately installed on the High Street in Portishead.


Kate Davies is an amazing local watercolour artist who, during lockdown and those daily walks, found herself drawn to our beautiful local bird life and even spotted a woodpecker!! 


Inspired by nature, she drew and painted and had lots of family time too with her husband and two young boys. The drawing of a tree to capture her love of nature inspired Portishead Town Council to commission a beautiful creation for all to enjoy.

 The piece was an artistic collaboration between John, Kate and the Town Council. The piece was positioned above the usual eyeline as a reminder to us all to look up and not down in life, as well as making it visible for those travelling around Portishead by bus or car..


A permanent steel tree, crafted by John using a solid steel rod for branches, he applied his hand-crafting wisdom and steel-bending technique to craft whimsical branches as Kate had envisioned them!! What a result!

The tree was to dress the wall outside Muse The Clothing Boutique on Portishead High Street. Amanda, the shop owner of The Muse, was consulted every step of the way. The black and gold finish was to reflect her independent store image and logo. There was a great deal of interest from bystanders whilst the installation was taking place!

John either chose to plasma or laser cut the birds, depending upon the intricacy. Each finished bird was then placed very carefully and welded onto the delicate branches.. A zinc anti-corrosion primer and applying a smoother enamel gave the finishing touch.


If you are not local to Portishead and fancy a visit to see this beautiful installation, the postcode is BS20 6AB


If you have the dream of owning your own piece of indoor or outdoor artwork, please visit our Etsy Shop, and we are sure you’ll be overwhelmed by the extensive choice and great value.

Likewise, if you wanted a piece specifically made for you or have a project in mind, please visit the Bespoke Projects section of our website.


Regardless of your query or question, we will be delighted to hear from you. 

Please Contact Us


By Karen Osborne October 9, 2025
We are delighted to offer a beautiful range of floral art pieces. Each piece is handmade from steel, yet the detail is superb and delicately presented. These can be used outdoors or as an indoor decoration. Our range includes a Rose, a Sunflower, a Daffodil, and a Red Poppy,
By Karen Osborne October 2, 2025
We were so thrilled to meet with so many people at this weekend’s Artport. We were at the Beacon Hub, which is a super venue. We were on the ground floor, alongside many other exhibitors and close to the lovely Café. There was a great atmosphere and we were really busy on both days.
By Karen Osborne September 25, 2025
We are so thrilled with John’s latest creation, focusing on some adorable woodland favourites.
By Karen Osborne September 16, 2025
We are thrilled to be at this great venue for this year’s Artport. We will have a stand at The Beacon Hub on the 27 & 28 September. We will have a great display of some of our hand-crafted pieces, including furniture, outdoor and garden items and gifts. The address to find us at The Beacon Hub is, Portishead Methodist
By Karen Osborne September 9, 2025
When John and Karen first launched Industrial Modern Furniture, the excellent selection of log holders was one of our first and most popular ranges. Since then, we have sold our beautiful hand-made log holders, log stores and fire baskets all over the UK, Europe and even to the snowy mountains of Canada.
By Karen Osborne September 2, 2025
Autumn is a great time to make changes to your garden so that you will enjoy it even more next year. It’s time to plant spring bulbs and many other plants, mulch your borders and prepare new ground for growing.
By Karen Osborne August 21, 2025
We are delighted to have a stand again at Portishead’s very own Art Festival on Saturday 27 and Sunday 28 September 2025.
By Karen Osborne August 7, 2025
The Portishead Community is delighted to welcome a new business to the High Street. The Settle Inn is a Micro Pub, offering a range of real ales, as well as a wide selection of other drinks. Industrial Modern Furniture was approached by Ed, the Owner of this exciting new venue, to discuss making a new bar and bespoke
By Karen Osborne August 1, 2025
Both John and Karen were very much looking forward to this event as, primarily, they love being part of any community events in Portishead. Secondly, they always look forward to seeing customers, friends and family. To top it off for this year’s event, the weather was perfect with wall-to-wall glorious sunshine!
By Karen Osborne July 24, 2025
Here at Industrial Modern Furniture, we are always delighted to receive positive feedback regarding our products and customer service.
Show More