Stool workshop / Stool workshop*
20 July – 2 August 2025
Course leader: Mats Aldén
Welcome to Pallet Workshop - the course for those who want to share and experience the joy of creating in wood! Regardless of whether you are interested in free sculptural creation or more traditional craft-oriented form and design, during these weeks you will develop your skills in woodworking and gain in-depth insight into the design process and knowledge of materials. During the course, you create a stool for a specific purpose or area of use that you formulate yourself, and during two weeks you then develop your idea into a finished prototype. In addition to Capellagården's fully equipped machine workshop, you also have the opportunity to work with hand tools. You have access to the most common Scandinavian tree species such as pine, birch, ash and oak. We go through various craft techniques such as joining, gluing and surface treatment. In addition, we cover woodworking knowledge, handling and maintenance of hand tools as well as safe work with the basic range of woodworking machines.
Course fee
The course fee is SEK 7,500
The course takes place in collaboration with the Authority for Vocational College, Art and Culture, which means that the course fee can be kept lower than other courses.
If Capellagården has to cancel the course, you always have the right to get back the course fee you have paid. If you need to withdraw your offer due to obstacles or illness, a refund will be made with 50% of the course fee.
Please note that board and lodging are not included in the course fee, but are booked and paid for separately after admission. Material costs for individual works may be added and paid on site.
Application and admission
Who can apply for the course?
It is required that you have experience in using hand tools and carpentry machines and have basic knowledge of the material wood.
You who search Capellagården's summer courses must be 18 years of age, except for the children/youth courses.
How do I apply?
Link to application form.
ATTENTION! When you have submitted your application, you will only receive a confirmation on the screen. You will not receive an automatic confirmation of your application via email, but you have the option to fill in that you would like a copy of your application via email in the application form. After you have submitted your application, you will be redirected to Capellagården's website.
How is the selection of course participants done?
We apply continuous admission. When a course has enough applicants to fill course and reserve places, we close the possibility to apply for the course. Some courses quickly receive a large number of applicants. The selection for the course is based on your motivation in the application and the desire to have a spread in the group.
When will I receive a response to my application?
We will provide feedback on an ongoing basis. That is, the time it takes to receive notification can vary. Notification is sent via email. The first e-mails with notifications will be tentatively sent out during the month of February. Upon admission, information is given about payment and confirmation of course place. In case of non-payment, we offer the course place to the next person in line. In connection with admission, it is possible to book and pay for board and lodging.
Why is there a delay in answering my question?
Send your questions and concerns to sommarkurser@capellagarden.se. We will reply as soon as we can, so please be patient if it takes a few days.
Board and lodging
In connection with admission, you are offered possibility to book and pay for board and lodging during the course week. There are about ten different houses on the "storgården" with close proximity to workshops and the Vingårdsalen. The rooms are varied with a simple standard. The houses have access to a shared kitchen, shower and toilet. Many houses/rooms thus have shared bathrooms. Full board is included for everyone who lives at Capellagården and our shared meals are largely based on vegetables from our organic garden.
Cost of board and lodging in a single room:
Board and accommodation for two weeks: SEK 10,600
Bed linen is included in the fee.
If Capellagården has to cancel the course, you always have the right to recover all fees for board and lodging. In case of cancellation, we charge an administrative fee of SEK 500.
We are usually able to offer rooms to anyone who wishes, but unfortunately cannot give any guarantee. If we are unable to offer you accommodation during your course period, you will receive information about this in your acceptance letter.
If you have arranged your own accommodation and want to eat together with your coursemates, it is fine to buy individual meals. The price is then:
Breakfast SEK 85, Lunch or dinner SEK 130, Cheese tray (end) SEK 160.
Coffee and shared coffee are included in the course fee
Bring to the course
Bring ideas and thoughts about a stool (a piece of furniture without back support) you want to create; sketches, drawings and inspiration images. Don't forget your sketchbook and any hand tools you may have.
Course start and end
Sunday, course start
On Sunday, the course starts for everyone. Arrival time and check-in takes place from 15.00 – 16.45. Meeting place in the school courtyard in front of the yellow mangård building. Afterwards, a simpler dinner is served in the Vingårdsalen. Roll call and joint start together with everyone on your course takes place at 18.00, also in the courtyard.
Course week
The course day starts at 8.30 and ends at 16.30. On certain days, you may be invited to a joint meeting/lecture in the morning or evening. Work in workshops and the garden is also permitted outside of teaching hours according to our workshop policy, which you will get well in place.
Weekend
Course leaders are not on site during the weekend, so there is no teaching then. Work in workshops and gardens is, however, permitted. If you live at the school, you of course have access to your accommodation even during the weekend. During the weekend, only breakfast is served, not lunch and dinner.
Friday, the last day of the course
During the day, workshop cleaning and course evaluation are included, followed by a joint tour of the workshops. The course ends with a joint final evening in the courtyard.
Saturday, the return day
Breakfast is served and uCheck-out takes place no later than 11.00.
Language
During the international course period, participants from all over the world normally meet, which gives another dimension to the courses. The interest is usually great and you, who are Swedish-speaking participants, usually manage well with basic knowledge of English.
Mats Aldén
Mats Alden is a furniture designer, interior architect and teacher living in Stockholm. He is educated at Capellagården in furniture carpentry and at the Aarhus School of Architecture, Denmark. Has own design studio and workshop in Stockholm and in Kleva on Öland since 1995. Previously employed by interior architect and furniture designer Åke Axelsson in Vaxholm. Collaborates with various furniture and design producers and is involved in various development projects mainly with a focus on the material WOOD. He has worked as adj. professor of furniture design at HDK Steneby, has been a lecturer at Konstfack and guest teacher at Linneuniversitetet and Beckmans school of design. Mats Alden has been responsible for the summer course stool workshop at Capellagården for several years and has recurring courses in furniture design at Nyckelviksskolan in Stockholm, Öland FHSK and Vårdinge FHSK in Sörmland.