I started working professionally with wood as an architectural joiner in Bath, where at  first most of my work was repairing or replacing doors and windows in the  Georgian buildings there, nearly all of which were listed; this meant that the  quality of the work was strictly controlled.

From  windows and doors, I progressed to staircases. At first, my work only involved  repairs but, because I was rash enough to tackle jobs that other people did not  want to do, I progressed to some exciting projects. Stairs are still among my  favourite commissions. They are   hardly ever straight-forward and usually need good problem- solving  skills, challenges that I enjoy; a good design can make a huge difference to a home.


 

In Bath, one of  my clients asked me to make them a table to fit into their octagonal kitchen and  we decided on an oval design that would seat twelve people. I am still making an  adaptation of this design. The table below was made in sycamore.

 


I like the oval  shape for a table – it seems to give a more sociable feel if more than two  people are sitting side by side.
The table below, which I call my “truncated  oval” design, is made in oak from a tree that was blown over on the farm where I  had my workshop. This photo was taken at the annual exhibition of the Scottish Furniture Makers.

                                                                                                   photo by Paul T Cowan

When I moved to  Glasgow I was starting my business from scratch again. I wanted to specialize  more on things I enjoyed making, having had my fill of Georgian sash windows! At  first I chose to concentrate on stairs and kitchens. Below is a kitchen designed  in conjunction with the client, who also did the painting:

Apart from  tables, I had not made much furniture, but then I was asked to make some chairs  to go with a table designed and made by Tim Stead, and my “Pebble chair” was  born:


 

If  this is a bit heavy, I also make very light, Shaker style chairs, as arm chairs  as shown here, as dining chairs and as rocking chairs.
I make  these chairs in my present workshop on the Isle of Arran, overlooking the  sea.

Here is more of my work: