(07) 3256 9000 | enquiries@bywaterdesign.com.au

custom made furniture

A gift to last a lifetime...

Our client came to us with a vision of creating a beautiful keepsake for his groomsmen.

A personal and unique way of saying “thankyou”.

A timeless present that would always be a reminder of such a happy occasion .

What better way to encaputure this than a beautiful keepsake “treasure” box, a gift that that will evoke pure delight and joy.

Our classic styled boxes are made from solid rosewood and designed to house watches, cufflinks and other personal effects.

The makings of something beautiful

Of course there will be dovetails

Adding that personal touch

To make these boxes a little more special we lasered each of the groomsmen’s initials along with a personal message to really capture the wonder of the occasion.

those glorious details make all the difference

Each box carefully assembled and polished

Each box a unique and personal heirloom

Handcrafted with care

A beautiful and thoughtful gift to last a lifetime

#lovewhatwedo

The making of a special Hi Fi Cabinet

Zebrano ( or Zebrawood) is a stunning hardwood timber so named for its distinctive stripes and was the timber of choice for our recent custom made Hi Fi Cabinet.

Dating back to 1773 from West Africa this timber with its pale and dark stripes give a visual impact to any furniture item

To compliment the Zebrano we used Massacar Ebony veneers, it is also known as Golden Ebony for the black stripes overlaying golden tones.

With two rich exotic timbers, we knew this cabinet was going to be something special.

The Macassar Ebony veneers, with those gorgeous contrasting stripes

The sheer beauty of Zebrano timber.

The design features included fold back front doors

Waterfall top - side grains matching

brass front edges

satin finish with uv protector

Push close doors

Brass on front shelf details and designed with the surrounding aesthetics top of mind …

A sophisticated additon to the loungeroom

Those beautiful waterfall matching grains . Beauty in the detail

The brass edges give an added depth of glamour to the internal shelves

When the inside looks just as good as the outside

With a rich combination of warm exotic hues and warm blonde tones our Hi Fi Cabinet was made not just for its beautiful looks but to house Hi Fi components for the ultimate in sophisticated sounds

. A timber heirloom for the ages and the ears

Retro Style Stereo Cabinet

We always value the joy of providing our clients with special heirlooms and this project is a beautiful example of that.

Having kept the turntable that his father has used through his childhood, our client desired a cabinet that would house his precious keepsake and also function as a stereo cabinet that could be used for all the family to enjoy …

The concept was simple; classic clean lines and showcasing the beauty of solid timber .

Stuart designed a crisp clean cabinet featuring the gorgeous Zebrano timber on the doors and New Guinea Rosewood for the rest of the cabinet.

The stunning grain in Zebrano for highlights

Elegant beauty

What a gorgeous contrast is the New Guinea Rosewood

Beauty in the detail

Featuring a designated area for the turntable, that oh so important vinyl collection and room for the other stereo components including easy cable access at the back, this custom made stereo cabinet now takes pride of place in our client’s home.

We hope many an hour will be spent listening to happy vibes with the family.

One of life’s greatest joys !

Designing custom made stools

Our lumbar support Bar Stools have brought breakfast to a whole new comfortable level for our clients.
Made from American Ash , Stuart designed these for maximum back support and to blend in with the clients existing dining chairs.
Upholstered in a blonde vinyl to withstand kitchen use these stools were a joy for Stuart to design and make.

Prepping for the shaping of the legs

Prepping for the shaping of the legs

Fine tuning

Fine tuning

Mock ups providing a good practice run
The beautiful finished product

The beautiful finished product

Taking pride of place in their new home

Taking pride of place in their new home

Create the things you wish existed ...

There is no question that books, in particular the big glorious hard cover gems are one of life’s abundant joys.

The glossy thick pages filled with wise words and inspirational images can take you places you have never been or re aquaint yourself with long lost senimentality .

You can travel the country, roam the world within minutes and take the ultimate escape journey, there is however only one small caveat , the weight of these glorious books often makes reading or perusing an uncomfortable process, the heaviness coupled with the size can put a dent in anyone’s escapism.

So finding a way for our client to enjoy reading a very special and sentimental book of proportionate size and weight Building Bathurst by Graham Lupp was a challenge Stuart happily accepted .

After deliberation and client conversation, Stuart designed (and made) a unique Mini Lecturn or Book reader which provides a stylish platform for those special books we treasure, giving the reader a vessel to house and read the book with ease.

Elegance meets practicality

Elegance meets practicality

When not in use, the bookreader becomes part of the furniture
Easy to assemble

Easy to assemble

Stuart putting the finishing touches on
Fully assembled

Fully assembled

Made from Camphor Laurel and Silky Oak, this simple easy to use Lecturn provides the ideal area to read, peruse or display those treasured books that should be gloriously displayed to make the everyday special.

As seen “in action” above the mini lecturn providing a wonderful backdrop for Building Bathurst a discerning Historical 2 Volume exploration into the historical architecture of Bathurst NSW Australia.

The journey of creating this unique piece for one of our clients is a privilege , connecting us to learned artisan Graham Lupp who both inspires and educates with his use of paint and pen .

A Joy to make and we hope will remain a constant source of comfort for our avid readers.

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.

Its all in the planning.

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

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

furniture construction at the bywater design workshop
Finished with gloss black , as per our client request.

Finished with gloss black , as per our client request.

Elegance and sophistication

Elegance and sophistication

Providing outdoor furniture solutions.

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 !

Around the workshop in September

September was another fun , productive month in the Bywater Design Workshop. Hard to believe that we are in the last quarter of the year, 2019 now

Our many and varied projects included restoration on some beautiful furniture, including a lovely change of colour to a 1920’s reading chair.

Working on our new surfboard collection ( we are very excited about our new developments ) our September Surfboard class proved once again how lucky we are to share our enthusisam and knowledge with our surfboard students.

Stuart also enjoyed using his beloved hand chisels and hand carved mahogany corbels for a heritage project .

As we emerse ourselves into October we look forward to some more exciting custom made furniture projects , further restoration work and the preparation for our November Surfboard Making Workshop which is always a fun and busy 4 days !

Love what we do

The benefits of white furniture

As we have stated many times, our passion for timber furniture is strong. Over the years we have designed and made so many beautiful heirlooms in timber, including, dining tables, chest of drawers, entertainment units even ladders for home offices, the list goes magically and gratefully on of what we have achieved for our wonderful clients.

Sometimes though, a clear finish/polish is not what is needed or desired.

A white gloss or 2 pack finish can literally be the icing on the cake

There are many benefits of white furniture, not withstanding the visual impact white furniture can have on some beautifully rich timber floors. The gorgeous contrast these two elements provide can just be breathtaking …

White gloss bookcase, providing a wonderful distinction between wall and floor

White gloss bookcase, providing a wonderful distinction between wall and floor

White Furniture can provide addtional contrasts and textures to a room .

It gives a clean, fresh feel which is perfect all year round.

White furniture provides a wonderful blank canvas, on which you can very simply add your collection of art, sentimental pieces and the white furniture will highlight these in the most subtle yet sophisticated of ways.

With different textures and shapes, white furniture becomes a wonderful addition to the living room

With different textures and shapes, white furniture becomes a wonderful addition to the living room

A perfect blank canvas to add art pieces, treasured books, special photos and mementos

A perfect blank canvas to add art pieces, treasured books, special photos and mementos

Any room of the home can benefit from the additon of white furniture, the only limit is your imagination

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

Restoring the glory Art Deco multi purpose sidetable

Carefully restored Dressing table with accompanying stool

Carefully restored Dressing table with accompanying stool

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

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

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

Simply elegant Sideboards

Sideboard/credenza/buffet table, whatever you prefer to call this item of furniture in the house, its importance in the family home never waivers.

The not so humble sideboard , orginated around the 18th Century and became a more commom household item during the 19th century when households became more propserous , and the accumulation of material items grew.

The sideboard or buffet table, apart from looking wonderful should be an extension of the room that it is in.

It should be a part of the room’s personality and decor.

There are so many options when it comes to the sideboard; glass door, glass shelved, open storage, backlighting anyone ? the options are endless but at the end of the day the sideboard should be able to store all the wonderful precious items we use for food ocassions.

The perfect platter, the fantastic china picked up in a garage sale, the tablecloth that has been in the family for generations; they should all be stored safely and have the ability to keep these precious items in pristine condition.

Over the years, we have made variants of the sideboard, each with the owners tastes and preferences in mind.

They are always a wonderful addition to the home.

Classic appeal, sideboard custom made to blend beautifully with existing cabinetry

Classic appeal, sideboard custom made to blend beautifully with existing cabinetry

Night ambience created by the addition of lighting

Night ambience created by the addition of lighting

Sleek and elegant. Minimal yet functional

Sleek and elegant. Minimal yet functional

Beautiful recycled timber with the addition of frosted glass is the perfect addition to this Queenslander

Beautiful recycled timber with the addition of frosted glass is the perfect addition to this Queenslander

The richness of mahogany and beautiful carved features make this sideboard an outsanding additon to the room

The richness of mahogany and beautiful carved features make this sideboard an outsanding additon to the room

Beautiful things for the everyday

One of our goals when we formalated the idea for creating our own gallery was to make beautiful small items for the home, and to have beautiful things in which to entertain.

Simple, classic pieces that are visually appealing and easy to use, things that wont date or age or seem fadish but just beautiful sustainable pieces that you would want to use again and again

Making the everyday an occasion a celebration is what we firmly hold dear, so why not use something beautiful to celebrate a Monday Night Takeaway …

Simply classic entertaining

Simply classic entertaining

Easy ambience

Easy ambience

Everday Luxury …

Everday Luxury …

Sushi time

Sushi time

Just some of the beautiful home accessories we have, slowly we are uploading items to the online shop, but we invite you to pop down and peruse the wonderful colurful textural Qld Made items we have

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

A fresh new look for the corner of the living room

Classic clean lines with ample storage

Classic clean lines with ample storage

The wonderful finished product

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 …

A beautiful table just waiting to happen …

Ready for the finishing touches …

Ready for the finishing touches …

We cant wait to reveal the final product

Ethical classic and durable

Watch this space !

A gift made from the heart ...

Our woodworking students always give us great joy when it comes to their dedication and persistence.

Bill , a Monday night student has worked tirelessly over the last few months working on a beautiful coffee table for a wonderful surprise birthday present for his wife.

Made from Melaleuca , which is part of the Myrtle tree family this elegant table uses resin as a centre feature to highlight the wonderful warm patina of the grain .

Finished off with light coats of lacquer, this gift made from the heart is one we are sure will be a treasured heirloom for many years to come.

Congratulations to Bill on such a wonderful achievement.

beautiful student work  elegant coffee table
capturing the light ;  a most beautiful coffee table
attention to detail, exceptional work from our woodworking students
53544621_2576281882401299_2707618903193812992_o.jpg

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

Silver Ash Bow and Arrow Shelf

Curves of the bow and arrow shelf
Dovetails to die for

Qld Maple Side Table

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

Qld Maple Sideboard

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

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 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

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 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

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.

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

African Teak ready to weather naturally

Classic designs never go out of style
Ready for lounging

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.

Z chair made by bywater design
classic chairs bywater design
rock maple dining chair
dining chair churchie

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

Starting to come together

Ample space for lots of wonderful books

Ample space for lots of wonderful books

A beautiful complement to stunning art work

A beautiful complement to stunning art work

A room without books is like a body without soul.

A room without books is like a body without soul.