A Country Kitchen

As autumn comes to a close its nice to be working inside. The kitchen I have recently finished is in a country house. The owner wanted a traditional feel with dressers to provide extra storage, rather than long runs of kitchen units. The appliances are either built in or large enough to be free standing. More storage is available in the adjacent scullery.

As the nights draw in.....

At this time of year we start coming in from the garden, and think about the central heating. Why not look at your radiators in a different way this winter. A piece of furniture rather than a heater perhaps?
Here are three radiator covers to help you decide.

Romsey Abbey 2015

Last year I had the honor or doing some work in Romsey Abbey. This spectacular structure has constantly evolved over the last 1000 years to be a working historical building with everything from professional music to school concerts and daily services of a bewildering variety. The Abbey is full of historical quirks alongside the most up to date technology. and to support all this action, is a dedicated staff of professionals and volunteers.
As with any public building there are back rooms and offices that maintain the running of the place and it was in the Vestry that I was involved.
A variety of cupboards, some of them Victorian had become impractical and past their best, so a new range of storage was needed, and an upgrade of some original cupboards. The purple paint had to go!

First comes the nasty bit, The destruction. But this is always interesting in an old building, you never know whats behind.

Now there is plenty of room for all of the surplices and ceremonial robes any clergy could want.

In position

So here is the finished article in place. The King Johns House gardens are a lovely oasis of calm in a busy town centre, So if you are in Romsey, take a look its free! 

The bench is nearly there

After a few weeks at the carvers, the components of the bench are back, so now the assembly. It is a great big jigsaw puzzle with some pretty large pieces.
I will be back to show you the finished article in position.

Dividing a room

Building rooms into a roof with a dormer is a traditional use of roof space. But this can leave you without a loft, which in turn can leave you short of the kind of storage we all need for things like suitcases etc.

This room was long and had plenty of space for the office it was housing. So what do you do with the dark corner at the end? 

Create a loft room. With book shelves to make the best of this side, and a door for access.

This could be wardrobes or storage cupboards, and could have storage options on the loft side too.

Settle down

I love working on historical buildings, and recently I have been doing some work in the garden of King Johns House, in Romsey. This is down a little alley opposite Romsey Abbey. It's open to the public and locals will know that you can use the gardens as a short cut into town from the car park. A big plus for me is the tea room!

It's a timber framed building, tiny and beautiful, full of character.

This week I am making a bespoke Oak bench. As this has live outside it is made of air dried oak, to reduce cracking and movement. The components incorporate a curve in the design. Time to get the band saw out.

Off to the carvers now, so they can add a memorial script. I will be back as the components go together.

That awkward corner

Houses are individuals. They have to fit our lives and often this means that they are extended and changes are made to layout. This can leave awkward corners. This one is a classic.

Boxed in to hide a soil pipe, next to a dormer, with a sloping ceiling. What a wasted space!
And the solution can be as individual as the problem.

The cupboards could be open, have a hanging rail, shelved, or fitted to fit a particular piece of large sports equipment. In this case drawers were added for clothing storage. Job done!