A life measured in knots and miles.
The Studio
"Magnolia" is more than our studio, she is our home. It started with a chance discovery—a boat listed for sale among houses—that opened our eyes to life on the water. We commissioned a 'sailaway lined' hull and are currently crafting the interior ourselves, piece by piece. We are building our home with the same purpose we bring to our jewellery: focusing on every detail to create something that fits perfectly.
Laurel & Allan
It began in 2011, not as a business plan, but as a search for our own wedding bands. We wanted something grounded and real—not mass-produced. When we couldn't find it, we decided to craft our own.
What started at a kitchen table has evolved into a floating studio where traditional goldsmithing meets modern wood innovation. We aren't just jewellers; we are a husband and wife team obsessed with the integrity of materials.
Allan
At the Bench Since: 2012
The Craft: Allan bridges the gap between structural engineering and fine art. He handles all metal casting, stone setting, and the structural integrity of every band.
The Training: His foundation was built in the US, training at the New Approach School for Jewelers in Tennessee, with further specialist coursework in Louisiana and California.
The Innovation: Frustrated by the fragility of traditional wooden rings, Allan spent years refining our bentwood method. By wrapping the grain rather than cutting it, he creates timber rings that rival the durability of metal.
Laurel
Designing Since: 2011
The Craft: Laurel translates your story into a schematic. From the simplest wedding band to complex heirloom reworks involving multiple stones, she serves as the bridge between your idea and the finished piece.
The Training: Trained in Toronto, Canada in specialist jewellery CAD software (Rhino and Matrix), she combines digital precision with an eye for organic detail.
The Materials: Driven by a love for natural textures and coloured stones, Laurel is currently completing her GIA Graduate Gemologist certification, ensuring every stone we source is as ethically sound as it is beautiful.
The Towpath Philosophy
There is a specific rhythm to life "on the cut". There is always time for tea. There is always time to watch the hedgerows pass slowly by. We have found that this pace—this deliberate slowness—is essential to our craft.
In a world obsessed with speed, we choose the ritual of the slow build. We limit our commissions so that we can live this life, and so your ring is crafted with the same focus we bring to our morning brew. When you wear a piece from Northwood, you are wearing something built with intention—this grounded way of living manifesting itself in physical form.
The Origin
Before the boat, we lived on the East Coast of Canada, running a busy Nova Scotia studio with a team of three. While we loved what we had built, we found ourselves missing the quiet, hands-on focus of our early days at the bench. In 2024, we chose to trade the traditional studio for a life on the UK canals.
The Ethics
We believe a piece of jewellery should be as kind to the earth as it is meaningful to the wearer. We work with recycled gold and platinum, paired with timber that carries a story—from fallen logs and ancient bog woods to reclaimed heritage timbers. By keeping our studio small and our materials conscious, we ensure that every Northwood ring is a testament to both heritage craft and future-focused ethics.
