"What Would You Do If You Could Do Anything?" - Ed Key on Finding his Creative Voice
Ed Key in his POW resident studio.
In 2018, after years in IT for a finance company, Ed Key found himself at a crossroads. To break the impasse, his wife posed a deceptively simple question: "What would you do if you could do anything?"
The answer arrived more easily than expected: as a hobby, Ed had been restoring reclaimed wood furniture on their balcony - selling small pieces here and there - but had never considered turning it into a full-time venture until the question was posed. Soon afterwards, Ed enrolled at the Building Crafts College (BCC) in Stratford, on a two-year Fine Woodworking course. It was there, sharing a workbench with Richard Etchell (who now runs POW's joinery classes), that Ed began to understand what he had been missing in his corporate career: a proper outlet for his creativity.
"I'd always been a practical person," Ed reflects. "I studied engineering before switching to computer science. I never really saw myself as artistic - more of a scientist - but the BCC course helped me understand and appreciate my own creativity."
Finding a Space
Ed’s path wasn't without its challenges: COVID disrupted the end of his course; his father passed away during this period; then, just as he was establishing himself, a herniated disk took him out of action for 18 months, requiring surgery in 2022.
However, Ed persevered, working from a 90sqft studio in South Bermondsey, he built a business mostly through Etsy sales and commissions, supplemented by handyman work through Taskrabbit. The platform sales taught him a valuable lesson about pricing and positioning: "Etsy was too low-priced," he explains. "I moved to just doing commissions."
In 2024, fate intervened at the most unlikely venue: a Taskmaster Live experience. Ed got chatting with Alex Rincon, POW's founder, who told him about the workshop space in Park Royal. After being shown around Standard Road, Ed immediately saw the opportunity.
"Space had been my limitation," he says. "Having access to a proper studio and all the tools was a game-changer. It was a big step up without the massive financial commitment or overheads."
In December 2024, Ed became a POW resident.
Building a Sustainable Practice
The decision to leave IT wasn't taken lightly. Ed gave up a comfortable salary and depended on his wife's support to make the transition possible. "I wanted to determine my own destiny," he explains. "The work culture in IT wasn't bringing out the best in me."
Now, typically working two full days and three half days a week in the workshop, Ed is strategically building his experience by taking on commissions that both interest him and stretch his skills, gradually working toward the sustainable custom furniture business he envisions.
One recent project exemplifies his approach: a repurposed chest for Alex's mother-in-law that took a month to complete. "There's so much nondescript brown furniture that people don't have space to keep as tables," Ed notes. "It appeals to me to take a piece that isn't useful anymore and transform it into something valuable."
Remarkably, Ed hasn't needed to advertise his practice. His work generates its own momentum through referrals. "Once you establish clients, it becomes very self-propagating," he observes. "People who can afford custom furniture tend to have friends who want some too."
The connections made through POW have also been invaluable. When one client needed folding tables, she called Alex Marsh at POW, who passed the commission on to Ed - exactly the kind of opportunity that makes a makerspace community so powerful.
Looking Ahead
Ed's immediate goal is to continue building his portfolio and expertise. "Remarkably, I've not made a chair yet, so that's something I'm hoping to do," he says. "I can't charge enough for one yet, but I'd love to justify the price by getting a commission that pushes me to a new level."
While POW provides everything he needs for now, Ed envisions eventually having his own workshop closer to home. The lessening IT and renovation work signals a transition he's eager to complete. And yes, he wants to be able to bring his dog to work 🐶.
For now, the space at POW is transformative and the engineer who became a computer scientist has finally found where everything comes together: in the satisfaction of creating something beautiful and functional with his own hands.
Follow Ed's work on Instagram: @keyead
Interested in your own maker journey? POW Workshops offers workspace, training, and a community of creators. Learn more at powworkshops.com