In addition to hardwoods, including oak, maple, walnut, cherry, elm and wenge, we work with exotic veneers and offer hand cut marquetry, as shown here in our samples folder. We often make samples of combinations of timbers, textures, veneers, and marquetry, to help our clients visualize the proposed piece, for example, a section of a proposed Conference table or the suggested marquetry panel on a Media cabinet.

Small timber samples can be misleading, as wood is an organic material and there will always be variations in colour and grain pattern. As we hand select boards, it is often possible to 'select out' very figured boards if you prefer a more homogenous look to your tabletop, or choose very lively grain. As we develop the brief during our initial meeting with a prospective client, we discuss timber selection and view sample materials.

We source our timber and veneer from a variety of suppliers, both at home and abroad, visiting warehouses and rummaging through bales of boards, often paying a premium. It's a sweaty job, but Michael insists on hand selecting material.

We're always adding to our store of interesting timber from sustainable sources, and the right client for it! We don't loan out our samples, as they are very labour intensive to make and finish, but we are happy to send images.

Photos by Roland Paschhoff