Looking after your Timber Furniture during Winter

As the temperature (finally )drops in Brisbane and we spend more time indoors, winter is a great time to give your furniture a little extra care.

Timber is a natural material that responds to changes in temperature and humidity, so a few simple maintenance habits can help keep your furniture looking beautiful for years to come.

Keep Furniture Away from Direct Heat

While it may be tempting to place furniture close to heaters, fireplaces or direct air-conditioning outlets, sudden temperature changes can dry out timber and potentially cause movement, cracking or warping over time.

Where possible, keep furniture a comfortable distance from direct heat sources and avoid prolonged exposure to hot or dry air.

Protect from Direct Sunlight

Winter sunshine can still be surprisingly harsh. Direct sunlight may fade timber, veneers and finishes over time, particularly on dining tables, sideboards and coffee tables positioned near windows.

Consider closing blinds during the brightest part of the day or rotating decorative pieces occasionally to ensure even ageing.

Regular Dusting and Cleaning

A simple wipe-down every week or two helps remove dust and grime before it builds up.

Use a soft cloth lightly dampened with water. Avoid soaking the surface or using harsh household cleaners, as these can damage the finish.

After wiping, dry the surface with a clean soft cloth.

Apply a Quality Furniture Wax

Winter is an ideal time to nourish and protect your furniture with a good quality furniture wax.

Apply a light coat following the manufacturer’s instructions, allow it to haze, then buff away any excess with a soft cloth. This helps maintain the lustre of the timber while providing an extra layer of protection against everyday wear.

A Little Care Goes a Long Way

Well-crafted timber furniture is built to last generations, and a small amount of seasonal maintenance can make a significant difference to its appearance and longevity.

If you have questions about caring for your furniture, restoring a treasured piece, or refinishing a tired surface, we’re always happy to help.

We love maintaining timber furniture during the cooler months

Where conversation begins ... creating a beautiful coffee table.

When it comes to bringing a space to life, nothing compares to having a piece of furniture designed just for you.

At Bywater Design, our custom made coffee tables are crafted from a wide and varied palette of beautiful timbers.

From silky oak to camphor laurel , rosewood and everything in between.

You can match existing pieces so that the addition is effortless or you can make a bold statement and create a wonderful conversation piece .

Beyond the look, custom made offers something store bought cannot buy - longevity.

All our timber furniture comes with a 20 year guarantee so you can rest assured you heirloom will be made to last and last

A comforting thought in this quick fix mass produced environment.

Thoughtfully chosen timbers, timeless design and quality craftmanship - the ultimate recipe for a beautiful piece of furniture

Love what we do !!

The marriage of marble and timber gives a beautiful rich grounding aesthetic

The warmth and beauty of camphor laurel

The elegant simplicity of Rosewood, gives this classic design depth

Blending two timbers is alwasy an exciting option that gives a real point of interest

The richness of Jarrah giving this room an elegant anchor

Salvaging Silky Oak ...

Exciting times ahead for Bywater Design, as previously mentioned we are busily creating new work for our gallery.

We strive to follow our ethos of using reclaimed and salvaged timber wherever and whenever we can and by using recyled timber we are contributing to saving our plantations as well as using something that may be destined for the scrap heap.

More often than not resalvaged timber has a charm and a wonderful patina all of its own, and with age comes beauty and character, timber is no different.

Currently we are in the process of using some salvaged Silky Oak and making some small items of furniture with it.

Silky Oak (Grevillea Robusta ) is an ideal timber to use for furniture making, its warm pink lustre, and detailed grain make for a wonderful finished product.

Its durability for most types of climate make it wonderful for the Queensland Climate.

A beautiful table just waiting to happen …

Ready for the finishing touches …

We cant wait to reveal the final product

Ethical classic and durable

Watch this space !

Custom made furniture for retirement living

Moving into a retirement living complex is a new beginning ; a chance to make some fun new changes.

Furniture that once served a great purpose for a larger family may not be so practical now, and sometimes the spacial features of the new abode do not marry well with the existing furniture.

These are a few of the reasons why our client came to us, seeking custom made furniture that would fit beautifully into their new home.

We designed and made the new dining furniture to blend seamlessly with existing furniture, to have the correct proportions so that it wouldnt overtake or be too large to manoeuvre around .

The richness of Jarrah was an ideal choice for the clean classic lines of this dining room furniture.

The wonderful deep patina of Jarrah makes a striking choice for apartment living/

Sleek and sophisticated

Custom making an obvious choice

The perfect size coffee table

The end result, very happy clients who are thrilled with their new way of life and their new furniture.

>Corporate Designs...

>Late last year, Bywater Design was approached by Bally Cara Retirement Village on the Redcliffe Peninsula to fit out their Corporate Guest area.The goal was to furnish the client receiving area with lounge chairs, coffee table and side cabinet.  After thorough consultation, we were able to design lounges with both comfort and style and incorporate  the clean lines of these chairs with the coffee table.

The whole fresh look is enhanced by the use of the cream coloured textured upholstery, highlighting the beautiful Jarrah timber used and the design structure of the chair. All pieces were finished with a 2pac  finish for appearance and longevity. For all corporate design enquiries please contact us at The Bywater Design Workshop

>A place to lay your cup

>Coffee Tables, a necessity in the modern world.  A place to lay  papers, keys, laptops, Ipads, bags,
magazines, papers, pizza boxes and strangely enough sometimes tea and coffee cups.
The Coffee table easily dates back to the 17th Century.
The first European Coffee tables were made in Britian during the Victorian Era.  Prior to that, drinks tables, tea tables were used to accomodate the high back settee that was used for lounging.
By 1780, the high back was replaced by low back sofas - hence the need for a lower placed table to
house the necessary beverages...

At Bywater Design , we love making Coffee Tables - designed to fit into the hub of the loungeroom, these
small but important items of furniture centre the room, highlighting larger pieces of furniture and enhance the
decor of the room.