I had made a highchair for Alex and Fiona back in 2004, and they asked me back in 2016 to commission this storage and shelving unit. They hadn’t done anything with the room since moving in 14 years earlier, and all the books, now on shelves, were all in boxes on the floor. This entailed months of work in the workshop for me, plus around 4 days on-site. I remember it was the week before Christmas, and when I left, Alex handed me a bottle wrapped in thin paper. I didn’t open it till I got home and discovered it was a bottle of his own malt whisky – what a joy to a malt lover like me! I looked at it for 2 days, thinking I might keep it till New Year! It was opened by Friday night, and was an absolutely amazing dram.
The whole project was made from American Cherry; there are two cupboards, full of the kids’ board games; and a glass display unit that houses a stuffed raven! The corner unit has a secret door in the centre, which you push to open. I went up in the New Year to sort a catch, and they had it full of books with the boys’ Lego toys on display. They hadn’t managed to empty all the book boxes, so commissioned me to make another two free-standing bookcases to sit in another room. They absolutely love it, and now use the room all the time as a dining and sitting room.