Commissioned Products Gallery
Look through a gallery of commissioned products that have each been made to specifically fit a clients specification. Although none of the products in the gallery are for sale it allows you (the client) to see a wider range of my work and may spark some ideas for your own bespoke commissioned piece.
Piccolo Case - This Piccolo case was commissioned to replace a 30+ year old original that had seen better days. The new case had to be very close in size and shape in order to fit the owners carry case. I was able to reuse the original latches, Yamaha metal badge and also the red velvet lining and plastic tray for the Piccolo to sit in. The velvet required cleaning and restoration before it was able to be used in the new case. This Piccolo case is constructed from a single piece of Jatoba. It features the original red velvet lining on the bottom and a new interior padded lid with colour matched silk. The original silver latches and badge are complimented with new chrome plated box stop hinges. Finished in a satin spray lacquer for a durable long lasting finish
Ornamental Vase of Roses - This ornamental Vase of Roses was created as a birthday present. The Vase itself is turned from a solid piece of English Oak, finished in traditional shellac polish and waxed to shine. The Rose Flowers were created using wood shavings and nothing else. A very sharp hand plane was set to take as thick of a shaving as was possible. These shavings where then cut into various sized petal shapes. Each petal was then shaped and glued together working from the inside out to create the effect of a rose. The stems where simply dowels that were steam bent to give a slight curve and accented with leaves made from Ash that have also been shaped using steam. They where then given several coats of satin spray lacquer before being arranged in the Vase.
Dovetailed Picture Boxes - These Picture Boxes were designed to specifically fit a clients brief and made to display watercolour sketchbooks. The client wanted the sketchbooks to be displayed like a picture framed on a wall yet have easy access to the books so as to be able to turn the pages and display different paintings. This required the boxes to have a hinged glass door. Each box was made from European Walnut and English Ash. The outer frame for each box was constructed from Walnut and dovetailed at each corner. The backboard, which also acted like a mount for the sketchbooks, was made from 2 pieces of crown cut English Ash, book-matched together. The grain on this particular board was beautiful due to it being the center board of that tree. The sketchbooks sat on an elegant shelf and the pages held open using brass piano arms. The doors where hung on polished brass box hinges and held shut with magnets sunk into the timber. Each box was finished in a satin oil.
Bespoke Banquette Seat - A very bespoke Banquette Seat made for a private customer. He commissioned this seat to fit in the corner of the kitchen to co-exist with his breakfast table. It was painted by our on-site decorator and upholstered by the upholsterer who works next door to me at Shilstone. . Made in 2 parts for easy transportation and assembly this Banquette features 3 lift up lids set flush under the seat cushions and also false panel detailing on the front and side faces. This Banquette is also made using lapped joints and is not a simple "studwork" construction. Although the timbers used are similar to that seen on site this piece has been made using higher grade redwood with cabinetmaker precision and is finished to the highest standard. Painted to match the surrounds in the kitchen and upholstered in a fabric that mirrors an aray of vases and paintings in the space.
Personalised Display Case - Commissioned by a trampoline club (Sussex Springers) to celebrate and commemorate the coaching career of one of their coaches who has now retired from the sport. A personal friend to myself as well, this piece was a real pleasure to design and craft for the club. Created to display an engraved beer and wine glass, this case is made from English Oak with an English Ash backboard. The backboard has the Sussex Springers logo hand painted onto it in the clubs blue. The bottom of the case has a plinth in which there are two routed circles cut to the same diameter of the beer and wine glasses to be displayed. This case also features dovetailed corners, an inlaid magnet catch, brass hinges, raised splines on each corner of the door and also a subtle finger pull carved into the main body of the case. The customer wanted the door to emulate that of a picture frame. Therefore a wide frame was used to secure 4mm toughened glass and then accentuated with visible splines, left slightly proud, on each of the mitered corners. The entire case is finished in a satin oil.
Hand-carved English Bulldog - Made for my Grandfather this English Bulldog has been hand-carved out of a solid piece of English Ash. I am not a competent carver, I only covered a small amount of carving in my training and since have only used the skill on antique furniture repairs. Being a Wood Carver is a profession in its own right and takes years of practice to master. I went into this carving somewhat naively, not fully understanding the length of time this piece would take. It took 4 days to carve this Bulldog entirely by hand but I was very pleased with the end result. However, as much as I enjoyed this project I will not be taking up Wood Carving as a full time profession. The Bulldog is finished in 3 coats of a natural shellac.
Ornamental Panda - This ornamental Panda is constructed from Beech and Wenge with pyrography burnt facial features. Each component was turned on the lathe and assembled using brass pins to allow the arms and legs to move independently. This little guy sits at just 7.5cm tall and is finished in a satin spray lacquer to give him a beautifully even shine.
Personalised Oversized Cribbage Board - Commissioned for a visually impaired customer this Cribbage board was also personalised for his 50th birthday. This inscription was drawn and painted by hand. The customer was also a keen sailor and part of the design brief was to incorporate an element of sailing into the product. This led me to design the cribbage pegs using stainless steel dowels with wooden sails delicately infused into the top of each one. These sail pegs are stored, in a made to measure compartment, to the rear of the board. This compartment is covered with a magnet catch door. The board is constructed in English Ash with Padauk lane dividers, inlayed with Ebony 5 point lines and Ebony and boxwood start finish lines. The sails are constructed from English Oak, American Black Walnut and Bubinga. The whole board is finished in a satin lacquer.
Matching Napkin Rings and Breadboard - A set of 12 napkin rings and matching breadboard commissioned in Cherry. The breadboard has the inscription "shabbat shalom" hand burnt in Hebrew into the top left of the board. A rose is burnt into the bottom right of the board. This rose is also burnt, in a smaller size, onto each one of the napkin rings. The breadboard features slightly rounded ends and a small chamfer on each edge. The breadboard is finished in pure Chinese Tung Oil whereas the napkin rings are finished in a harder wearing satin spray lacquer.
Picture Frame - Commissioned to display a certificate and photograph inside the same frame, this frame was constructed from European walnut using traditional framing methods. It features mitered corners with visible splines that have been left proud on the front to double up as a unique design feature. The frame also benefits form a step on the inner front edge which pushes the content back into the frame. The certificate and picture are displayed in a dove grey hand cut mount. The glass, mount and backboard are held in place using traditional oak beading which was shaped by hand and screwed into place. The frame is finished in a traditional homemade wax and buffed to shine. The client wanted the Walnut to maintain its natural beauty and colour without being darkened or effected too heavily by the finish. A wax finish allows the timber to be protected yet still enhance the grain without changing its colour properties. The glass mounted within the frame is 4mm toughened.
Children's Personalised Stools - Children's 4 legged stools constructed in English Ash and personalised with their names burnt into the seat. The legs and cross braces where all turned by hand on a lathe and are fixed into a solid, rounded edge seat. The seat is finished in a satin spray lacquer whereas the legs are finished in a clear matt oil. It was a requirement of the product that the seats where hard wearing and durable due to the age of the recipients.
Jigsaw Puzzle Board - Commissioned for a keen jigsaw lover this piece had to store un-used pieces and also include a big enough space in which to actually construct puzzles. It features two shallow drawers that close away underneath the main puzzle area. Both draws include unique tan leather handles delicately fastened to each draw with brass screws and caps. The puzzle area has a 10 degree tilt towards the user to assist with the viewing and construction of the puzzle. This piece is constructed in English Ash with MDF drawers and puzzle area stained in a deep burgundy. The Ash is finished in a satin oil whereas the drawer base and puzzle area are finished with a more durable satin spray lacquer.
Garden Chair - This Garden Chair was commissioned for an elderly client. This required the chair to have specific dimensions and requirements in order to help him get in and out of it easily. Dimensions were taken from one of his interior chairs that had been adjusted to suite his needs. These measurements mean that the seat sits quite high and the back more upright than what would be "normal." The seat itself is shallow with wide, long and low arms meaning the client can use them to help support him in and out of the chair. Constructed from European Redwood and Sapele to create a unique yet beautiful look. Garden furniture could be considered to be quite plain and mundane in both its design and use of timbers. The client did not want this chair to conform to these stereotypes so these complimentary yet contrasting timbers were agreed upon. The arms are ergonomically shaped by hand to give a comfortable and tactile feel, complete with a shallow yet purposeful cup holder on the right hand side. The chair is finished in a satin shine yacht varnish. The arms are coated in a different type of high gloss marine grade yacht varnish.
Button Hangers - These Button hangers were created for a client who wanted something a little different from shop brought hocks and other hanging options. These Button hangers have been created in a variety of timbers and 4 different sizes ranging from 50mm - 110mm in diameter. Turned on the lathe and fitted with a threaded steel rod at the back these Button Hangers have been designed to screw into an M10 wall fitting. They have been finished with shellac polish and then coated in 2 layers of a harder wearing gloss lacquer.
Ornamental Goblet - This ornamental Goblet was partly used as a test of my wood turning ability and an experiment to how far I could push this particular wood on the lathe. The purpose of this goblet is purely aesthetic as is demonstrated in the final picture where it can be seen adorned with festive floral decoration. Constructed from Bubinga, which is known for its wood turning properties, its beautiful grain makes for an eye catching and visually stunning finish. The rim of this Goblet was turned to be as thin as was physically possible to achieve with the timber. The bowl thickens towards its base and into the stem which features a subtle turned bead detail. Two encapsulated and interlocking rings rest on the base and were created to spark intrigue and further test my wood turning abilities. Finished in traditional shellac and waxed to shine.
Office Set - A set of three desk items made from Mahogany and Sapele. These items were made to fit a clients specification as to their personal preferences and requirements when working from a desk. The set consists of a name plaque that also doubles as a business card holder to display a handful of cards. A business card rack that allows up to 4 different cards to be displayed and a large stationary pot to complete the set. The large stationary pot was turned on the lathe and had to be big enough to hold a variety of desk supplies. Each item was finished in traditional shellac polish and waxed to sine.
Advent Candle Holder - A candle holder designed and made purely off the back of a clients rough sketch and initial idea. The client wanted the advent candle holder to look like "driftwood woven in a lattice." This was to allow her to weave Christmas decorations in between the spaces created by this effect. She also wanted a two tone alternating timber pattern so choose English Oak and European Walnut. In order to keep to the brief, tooling and gouge marks where created and left along the side of each component thus creating a likeness to driftwood yet still using high quality timbers. The candles that were going to be used by the client where pre bought and used to create the holes and collars that would hold the candles secure. Finished in a satin spray lacquer and waxed to shine.