Library Shelving

After moving to Edinburgh my first job was in Galashiels building library shelving to store a collection of rare botanical books. The shelving is in birch ply with solid wood edging and facings. The library has nine fitted bookcases containing 70 metres of adjustable-height shelves. I made all the components at my workshop in Dalkeith and then me and a colleague spent four days fitting in Galashiels. It was great to change the whole character of the room into one given over completely to books.

Kist Restoration

This 100-year old traditional Scottish kist was badly worn and scratched so I discussed restoration options, and decided to strip and varnish the top, leaving some marks of the kist’s use while revealing the colour of the pine, and repainting the sides. The old pine was very dense, and every finer sanding revealed new intricacies in the wood – it was a pleasure to work with.

Spice Box

This was commissioned by a keen cook who likes curry. I made the sides from oak and the top panel of Scottish elm. I used elm from two different trees to make use of the colour variations in elm.

Large Bedroom Wardrobes for Edinburgh New Town

I made these two large fitted wardrobes for a newly renovated flat in Edinburgh’s New Town. At over three metres high and 60cm deep they provide a huge amount of storage space. They are made from birch ply with solid wood edging, facings, and doors. The door hinges are solid brass with hidden magnetic closures which keep the doors perfectly in line. For the drawers I used high-capacity soft close drawer runners which feel very smooth to use.

These wardrobes are the biggest pieces of furniture I’ve made – they were a bit of a challenge to assemble as they were so high! When they were in place though they looked magnificent.