From Formula One to Family Furniture: The Story Behind Emma Nicola

There was a time when my world revolved around microns, weight reduction and circling at 200 miles per hour.

Before Emma Nicola, before the workshop in the Forest of Dean, before children’s furniture and homeware, I was a design engineer working in Formula One — a world where precision isn’t a luxury, it’s survival.

Today, I work with one of the most natural materials in the world, providing memories and pieces for families to last a lifetime.

It might seem like a dramatic shift. In reality, it’s not as different as you might think. 

Working in Formula One means obsessing over tiny details. Every radius, every tolerance, every material choice has a consequence. You design knowing that performance depends on accuracy — and that shortcuts are never acceptable.

You learn to:

• Design with intent

• Respect materials

• Solve problems

• Think about the small details

Those habits don’t disappear when you change industries.

They become part of how you see everything.

When I stepped away from motorsport and into manufacturing, I didn’t leave engineering behind. I brought it with me, into an industry that desperately needs engineering excellence to reform designs. 

Wood is very different from carbon fibre — it moves, it breathes, it is unpredictable and it has character. It demands a deep understanding to design a successful product. Grain direction matters. Moisture matters. Tolerances matter. Finishes matter.

The difference?

Now, instead of designing parts that last a few races and put our team on the podium, I design pieces that should last a childhood — and beyond. This time creating memories for families, that feel like they have won & are stood on that podium.

Why Family Furniture?

Furniture for children is often treated as temporary. Disposable. Something to “make do” with as they will 'out grow it'.

It is something I want to change. Bring back the days with hand-me-downs and family traditions. The thought to pass on quality made items throughout the family and onto friends, which once provided so much joy to our own family.

Reduce the amount we demand to be manufactured overseas, reduce plastics and use sustainable materials. 

Children are demanding - and not just to their parents.

Children climb, lean, pull, drag and test everything. If something is going to live in a family home, it needs to be:

• Structurally sound

• Thoughtfully proportioned

• Safe without compromise

• Beautiful enough to belong in your space

Engineering thinking makes better furniture. Not heavier. Not overcomplicated. 

And it should feel and look beautiful too. 

I hope my pieces bring you joy and create memories for your families, as they do for mine.