Waals, Peter

Peter Waals (1870-1937) was born in The Hague in Holland and learned his craft as a cabinet maker there and in Brussels, Berlin and Vienna. Coming to London in 1900, he met Ernest Gimson, the architect and designer and a leading figure in the Arts and Crafts Movement. Waals became Gimson's foreman at his workshops in Daneway in Gloucestershire and after Gimson's death in 1919 set up his own workshops at Chalford. Here he continued the Cotswold Tradition of furniture design and production begun by Gimson and the Barnsleys. In 1935 Waals became consultant in design at Loughborough College. He was responsible for designing the furniture for Hazlerigg Hall and the panelling and furniture for the College Library and the Stadium Pavilion. He was succeeded as design consultant at the College by Edward Barnsley. Most of Waals' drawings were destroyed in a fire at the Chalford workshops shortly after his death, but these drawings for College furniture were fortunately held elsewhere.