Chunk Monkey was recently contacted by Jessica Sharville, set designer for James Smith, while she was sourcing furniture for his podcast episode The Problem With AI.

After coming across our rustic industrial handmade furniture, Jessica selected one of our dining tables for the set — an Extremely Chunky Chunkiest Hairpin dining table — based on its aesthetic and suitability for the space.

Furniture That Works on Camera

Podcast sets are deceptively difficult to design. Everything is scrutinised by the lens: proportions, textures, finishes and how materials react to light. Anything flimsy, over-polished, or artificial tends to stand out for the wrong reasons.

For this set, Jessica selected our Extremely Chunky Chunkiest Hairpin dining table — a solid, unapologetically robust piece built from solid pine and paired with chunky industrial hairpin legs.

The contrast between heavy timber and clean steel lines gives the table presence without distraction, grounding the set while letting the conversation take centre stage. It’s furniture designed to be lived with — and, as it turns out, filmed around.

From Workshop to Podcast Set

Every Chunk Monkey table starts life in our Swansea workshop. They’re built by hand, one at a time, using solid pine that already have a story before we ever touch them. Grain variation and natural imperfections aren’t hidden — they’re part of the appeal.

Seeing one of those tables leave the workshop and end up on a professionally designed podcast set, viewed by hundreds of thousands of people, is something we don’t take lightly. It’s a reminder that honest materials and solid construction still matter, even in highly produced, modern media spaces.

A Note of Thanks

A thanks to Jessica Sharville for selecting our work and trusting it as part of the visual backdrop to the podcast. It’s always good to see handmade, UK-built furniture used beyond the home — whether that’s in studios, commercial spaces, or other creative environments.

If you’d like to see the episode, you can watch The Problem With AI on James Smith’s YouTube channel by clicking here — and keep an eye out for a very familiar table holding the room.

If you would like to purchase your own Extremely Chunky Chunkiest Hairpin table, click here!