Paparwark Furniture was founded by Cecil Tait in 2003, named after the Celtic monks who lived in Shetland about 1000 years ago. Cecil is renowned for the quality of his craftsmanship and innovative use of traditional techniques.  A native Shetlander from a crofting family, Cecil decided to pursue a career in furniture making at an early age and, after leaving school, he studied at the Glasgow College of Building and Printing, before completing his BA in Furniture Craftsmanship and Design at High Wycombe. Paparwark Furniture is based in Bigton overlooking St Ninian Isle. Cecil works full time in his workshop, but like many Shetlanders still has to find time to work on the family croft in the South of Shetland in the evenings and weekends. A committee member of the Shetland Arts and Crafts Association, he is well known throughout Shetland for combining innovation with the preservation of local vernacular woodworking traditions.