Ruth and Craig's Kitchen
Ruth and Craig have a lovely Edwardian house in Edgbaston, Birmingham and were in the middle of renovating their kitchen when they contacted me. They knew exactly what they wanted but were struggling to find a bespoke kitchen company that could build them a kitchen in their time-frame or to their budget. Working with my workshop colleague Gavin Davidge, also a fine furniture maker, we designed, built and installed their kitchen in less than three months.
The cabinets were built simply and solidly in 18mm birch ply which was sanded and oiled inside the cupboards to very pleasant effect. The frame and panel doors and all external parts were painted and the oiled solid beech counters finished the job off beautifully.
“We are absolutely delighted with the cabinets and surface you installed for us in our kitchen. The whole process from design, through to construction and installation was very professional and efficient.
We are particularly pleased with how well everything functions and the attention to detail and finish is immaculate. The whole thing is a pleasure to use and to look at”. - Ruth Spencer
Cabinet in Olive Ash
The customer needed a small cabinet to sit beside her armchair which would allow for the organisation of pens, pencils and remote controls as well as reading and reference books. The timber came from a large tree felled on the Longleat Estate and the cabinet was designed to show off the transition from young, light ash near the bark to the golden olive heartwood at its centre.
(Height : 625mm; Width : 450mm; Depth : 305mm)
Motopas Chair in Light Ash
A customer's 50th birthday present to himself was this version of the Motopas chair. The lightness of the ash together with the use of slightly narrower section timbers gave me the opportunity to develop the design and make it more delicate. The customer's choice of black suede upholstery resulted in a very stylish finished piece.
(Height : 950mm; Width : 430mm; Depth : 580mm)
Mirror in Olive Ash
The curves of this rather relaxed mirror follow the grain of the timber and the number of sides reduces from six on the outside to five around the glass.
(Length : 750mm; Width : 400mm; Thickness : 22mm)
Coffee table in English Walnut
The design of this table developed during my first term of life drawing. The six sides of the top reflect the gentle, convex and intersecting curves of the human body and its asymmetry is reminiscent of a person standing with most of their weight on one leg. The original design was for a mirror, however when I bought the wood, I realised that the sweeping curve of the grain was asking to be used as the long sides of a table and perhaps the glass in the centre reflects the original mirror idea.
(Length : 1050mm; Width : 450mm; Height : 390mm)
Walnut Display Cabinet
The client wished to have a small, dovetailed cabinet in a dark wood to display a miniature Portmeirion tea service. American Black Walnut was chosen for its depth of colour and a glass shelf holds the large plate in place as a background to the smaller pieces displayed on two levels.
After delivery the customer kindly wrote to say "Thank you for the cabinet you have made for me. It's just what I wanted and your workmanship is a joy" - Pauline Kirton
(Height : 205mm; Width : 230mm; Depth: 110mm)