Crafting an Island Bench from American Red Oak

Every piece of furniture we create tells a story—a story of craftsmanship, quality, and attention to detail. Recently, we had the pleasure of designing and crafting a beautiful custom-made island bench for a lovely client.

Using premium American Red Oak, we turned their vision into a reality, carefully matching their specifications to create an integral piece for their home.

Why Choose American Red Oak?

At the heart of this project was American Red Oak—a solid timber renowned for its durability, natural beauty, and deep grain patterns that add warmth and character to any space. This choice of material not only provided a timeless aesthetic but also ensured the island bench would stand the test of time.

Designed Exactly to Specifications

This island bench was more than just a functional piece of furniture; it was a creation tailored precisely to our client’s needs. Here’s what made this custom piece so special:

• Functional Front Drawers

Each drawer was crafted with precision, featuring dovetail joints for added strength and stability. Designed to enhance storage, these drawers offer a practical solution for a busy home, keeping everything you need right at your fingertips.

• Smooth Undercarriage Runners

To ensure ease of use, we installed undercarriage runners. These ensure the drawers operate effortlessly, making them as functional as they are beautiful.

• Stunning Marble Top

The bench is topped with fixed marble, adding an elegant contrast to the American Red Oak’s warm tones. Not only does this provide a sophisticated finish, but it also creates a durable work surface—perfect for any kitchen or workspace.

• Swivel Wheels with Brakes

For the ultimate versatility, we incorporated swivel wheels with brakes. Our client can move the bench around their home effortlessly, then securely lock it into place when needed. Whether it's for entertaining guests or preparing a meal, convenience is built into every detail

Beyond the dining table - exploring the joy of the buffet table

One of the hardest-working pieces of furniture in a home, second only to the dining table, is the buffet or sideboard. This essential furniture item houses a range of cherished possessions—from the "for special occasions only" dinnerware to the festive platters brought out during Christmas, and the handcrafted tablecloths that were made by a great aunt.

These timeless treasures elevate any celebration by their mere presence.

Each of these gems deserves a dedicated home, which is why a buffet table, sideboard, or even an entertainment unit plays such a crucial role in your home

When designing and crafting a buffet, we aim to create a true reflection of the owner's personal tastes and preferences.

The design possibilities and material choices are virtually limitless when it comes to custom-made pieces. We’ve highlighted below a few pieces we've created in recent years that exemplify the timeless beauty of timber and its transformative potential.

Jarrah Buffet Table

Jarrah Benchtop

Walnut veneer Buffet table

Qld Maple Sidetable

Custom Made Outdoor Benches

Our client came to us with a vision of some beautiful outdoor benches. She had searched high and low for what she wanted, but to no avail. So we were happy to provide a solution to her dilemna.

Stuart came up witih initial sketches and once approved we began the design in earnest of these.

Heights are imperative, as are railing and handle widths to ensure maximum comfort. You want to be able to sit for hours with ease to meander the hours away with a good book , an Earl Grey or Pimms or even both.

We constructed these benches in Rosewood, a beautiful solid timber perfect for furniture

Its all in the planning.

Curves provide a point of interest in the back part of the seat

Finished with gloss black , as per our client request.

Elegance and sophistication

Providing outdoor furniture solutions.

Once construction was completed, we finished these with a high gloss exterior black to compliment the outdoor area beautifully.

A beautiful end result, built to last and made for comfort !

Inner Brisbane City Chamber Refurbishment

Time really does fly …

Over 10 years ago we completed a fit out for an innercity chambers.

The work included built in bookcases, corporate office area and the addition of lounges where our Barrister could liaise with clients or catch up on reading material.

We enjoyed the collaboration with our client and she was ecstatic with the finished outcome.

A professional yet practical area that encompassed bright striking colours that accentuated her personal furnishings as well as being an executive office space.

Fast forward to 2019 and it was time for a spruce up, nothing dramatic just some repolishing , some minor repairs to keep this work area in wonderful working condition, especially in a high air conditioned environment where the dryness can impede on timber furniture.

Beautiful bold colours and pattern making a big impact

Practical and classic

Ample storage and writing area is vital

A little maintenance goes a long way to ensure longevity of timber furniture.

Art Deco Furniture then and now

What are your images, thoughts of the 1920’s ?

The Great Gatsby , Speakeasies, jazz music comes instantly to mind.

The world was celebrating peace and freedom after World War 1 and technology (but not as we now know it ) was forging ahead.

Automobiles were becoming more common, and movies were mass entertainment in the devleoped world.

This started as a boom era in which people were intent on living for the now, throwing convention to the wind and opening the way for new ideas and inventions.

Art Deco is the term for this fashionable style that dominated between the two world wars, Art Deco influenced many spheres of life from art, architecture, fashion and sculpture to furniture design.

The impact Art Deco has left is monumental in architecture alone. In Queensland , the State Government Insurance Building in Brisbane and the Charleville Town Halls are perfect testamony to these, just as the Empire State Building and the Chrysler Building are iconic symbols in the USA.

Jazz Moderne as Art Deco was also known as the dominant style of the 1920’s and 1930’s.

It became known as Art Deco in the 1960’s when a British Art Critic took the name from the 1925

L’Exposition des Arts Decoratifs et Industriels Modernes held in Paris.

The Style was developed in France by over 250 craftman including Jacques_Emile Ruhlmann, Jean Dunand and Rene Lalique. The strong Paris influence led the “machine age aesthetic”in which the flowing floral motifsof Art Noveau were replaced by streamlined geometrical designs, that expressed the efficiency of modern technology.

Excitement over this new French Style was quickly emulated in Italy, Britian other European countries and North America.

Art Deco designers used stepped forms, rounded corners, striped decorative elements and experimented with industrial materials such as metal, plastic as well as the more unusual sharks skin.

The favoured stylish colours of purple, mauve, peach and grey were used to enhance the new sophisticated design.

Experimenting with industrial design elements was a constant in the Art Deco period.

Decorative glass had a formative role in products such as cabinet doors and homes with heavy timbers lightened by the use of glass, were stylised with sunbursts, foliage and various flower species.

Another aspect of Art Deco which is essential in todays design elements is multipurpose design; the original Art Deco furniture was true to their geometric and sleek design and were highly functional as well as representing elegant simplicity.

Think of a headboard with incorporated bed side tables or side cupboards with a lamp stand or cigrette holder doubling as a coffee /occasional table.

The not so humble cocktail cabinet; borne from that wonderful pasttime; the cocktail party , was devleoped to house essential items for a maritini as well as accommodating a gramaphone to play the latest Josephine Baker. Multipurposing at its best.

We have restored many and varied pieces from this era

From the humble occasional table , to the essential vanity unit to the more complex gramaphone , these pieces were carefully and faithfully restored to bring out the best of that era ,as well as using modern practices to ensure they will go on for many more decades

Clients often request design characterstics from this period as well using the crisp symmetrical forms from this era to using timbers reminiscent of this era including birds eye maple . With subtle additions of plain frosted glass instead of the more colourful glass originals the Art Deco mood is enhanced whilst giving each furniture item its own personality .

One of our favourite era’s we relish the opportunity to restore or create pieces of furniture that are reminiscent of this wonderful age, when things were a little simpler.

Restoring the glory Art Deco multi purpose sidetable

Carefully restored Dressing table with accompanying stool

Simple curved lines with an Art Deco aesthetic for this stunining kitchen cabinet

Beautifully designed and made by Stuart this Art Deco Inspired entertainment unit is a crowd pleaser

Gorgeous Accessories

Creating wonderful accessories for the home ,has been a priority for us once we decided to embark on building our gallery …

We wanted to make classic pieces, that would be durable as well as beautiful and functional.

Pieces that would suit any decor and transform the grazing table to a thing of beauty and highlight the great fresh produce that we have in Australia, right across the 4 seasons …

Our serving boards are a thing of beauty, made from Australian timbers, in classic designs , in rich timbers and are just wonderful for any occasion , albeit a cheese platter on a Friday evening, or an afternoon tea with nan.

And of course made right here in our Brisbane Workshop

Elegant take away, our teak sushi platters take it to a whole new level

Spoilt for choice … hazelnut slice or Lemon Meringue ? or both ?

What better way to enhance glorious seasonal fruit

Our Grand Opening ... July 6

Its been a while in the making …

We have been working on the build of our gallery, along with curating beautiful products .

We are so pleased to announce that our gallery is ready and our official opening is this Saturday July 6.

In our gallery you will find beautiful timber furniture

Gorgeous accessories for the home.

Original Bywater Design products you wont see mass produced

Designed and made in our Brisbane Workshop.

An exquisite collection of homewares

Beautiful timber servery products

Our gallery is ready

We invite you to come down , enjoy or coffee or a chai and peruse our wonderful collection of homegrown homewares …

6/32 Zillmere rd

Boondall Brisbane

10 - 3 pm

July 6

Custom making Media Units ...

A wonderful finished product on this custome made TV Cabinet …

Our client required a modest cabinet to accommodate a DVD Player and accessories , and it also had to fit within the room parameters , so as not to overpower the other gorgeous furniture in the room .

Stuart designed this sleek cabinet with ample storage for all components as well as the inclusion of grey speaker mesh to emphasise the quality of sound as well as harmonise with the 2 Pack finish.

We chose Dulux Snow Season a sophisticated white neutral to highlight the gorgeous timber flooring.

The chrystal handles ( a client love) was the final embelishment on this elegant minimal yet functional cabinet.

A fresh new look for the corner of the living room

Classic clean lines with ample storage

The wonderful finished product

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 !

The finer things ...

Our gallery is taking shape…

With lots of special pieces, where the emphasis is on innovative design and excellence in craftmanship.

Silver Ash Bow and Arrow Shelf

Qld Maple Side Table

Recently installed, this elegant Qld Maple Display Cabinet, is just perfect for apartment living.

Featuring adjustable glass shelves, undercarriage runners, dovetails and back lighting, this sideboard is both practical and refined

The elegance of Mahogany

With its reddish brown hue that enriches over time, Mahogany Timber is the ideal choice for dining room furniture.

Its warm tones heighten the design aesthetic and impart a warmth and and ambience that only timber can supply.

The side table we recently custom made is a wonderful example of this.

Understated elegance , the mahogany side table is the perfect addition to this dining room

Beauty in the detail

Creating a sideboard for the home

The sideboard or buffet or chiffonier is an integral part of the family home.

Its a place to store our beautiful crockery, silverware, glasses and all the other wonderful pieces we accrue and keep “for good” or theoretically use more often , to make every day special.

It is a really a happy storage unit, as it ideally contains all the things we hold dear and with which we use to celebrate special occasions .

The design , look feel and timber choice of the sideboard is such a personal decision.

But the end result is always stunning, a beautiful blend of craftmanship, design and ambience that

brings all the elements of a heirloom piece of furniture together.

A modern twist on sideboard living. Beautiful clean lines with a crisp white finish.

A traditional theme in this Queenslander is carried through with the use of Queensland Maple for this sideboard with frosted glass

Using the richness of Jarrah this sideboard featuring ample storage is a wonderful addition to this dining room .

Using curved legs for the feature of this Sideboard. Once again Qld Maple is used for its striking detail

What a grant statement this restored red cedar chiffonier makes. With an impressive marble top this show pony certainly has the wow factor.

African Teak Outdoor Furniture

Matching existing pieces we made 6 years ago, these African Teak outdoor chairs are made to last.

Just add cushions and a cocktail and the hours will just float by…

African Teak ready to weather naturally

Custom made dining chairs...

Dining chairs have a tough gig, over the years they are put through constant stress and strain.

Used several times a day, they are certainly put through their paces.

A chair has to be strong to be able to carry various weights, and it has to be comfortable to make the owner want to sit in it with ease for hours.

With these aspects in mind, we design and make our dining chairs for durability, for beauty and for comfort.

A place for books

Being avid readers, we know all too well the problem of finding a suitable home for all the books we have collected over the years and do not want to part with.

It is a wonderful thing to pass them on to someone else to read #payitforward but there are numerous times and occasions when you do not want to part with them.

Art books for instance , often heavy and large are a must have for reference and to keep going back to time and again, coffee table books - for when the collection becomes too high to keep on the coffee table and of course well worn much loved fiction books that hold sentimental value.

Our client came to us with this conundrum , so many wonderful books but nowhere to store them and to reflect back on them when needed.

We designed this clean, streamlined bookcase to house such important items. Custom made to encapsulate the assorted heights and weights of different books.

Simple in design and colour so as to let the wonderful assorted colours of the books take precedence and be the show items as they rightly are…

Starting to come together

Ample space for lots of wonderful books

A beautiful complement to stunning art work

A room without books is like a body without soul.