Queensland Maple Desk and SideBoard

A very happy client took ownership of her new Qld Maple Desk and TV Unit. Featuring Curved legs, arched rails, these classic designs will work beautifully into the new build home.

All custom made furniture from Stuart Bywater Design includes dovetailed drawers and soft close runners.  One of the many advantages of choosing a custom made product.  The quality inclusions add to the longevity of our furniture, ensuring peace of mind and backed by our 20 year guarantee on custom made pieces, you can be assured of value and quality.

Caring for your furniture in Winter...

Winter is a wonderful time in Brisbane, hot chocolates, comfort food,  doona weather but with a drop in temperature there is also a  rapid decline in humidity. With these changes, timber furniture can dry out and possibly split in various places...

You can avoid this by using a suitable furniture wax to promote and keep moisture in the grain.  Simply wax on with a clean dry cloth  and  then wax off any excess, doing this a few times during winter will noticeably enhance your furniture and keep it in pristine condition.

If you are unsure of which wax to use, or you would like to purchase some of our furniture wax please call us on

PH:  3256 9000 or e;  enquiries@bywaterdesign.com.au  and we would love to help you .

Working with Wood Show - Brisbane 2015 -

It was all very hands on at the recent Working with Wood Show at the RNA last weekend...  

We had an overwhelming response and interest in not only our Wooden Surfboard and traditional woodworking classes, but also our custom making and furniture restoration services. Thank you to Carbatec for making this possible. Much appreciation to Michael Hoffman and David Wardrop for their invaluable help and enthusiasm over the weekend.

Timber Working with Wood Show RNA Brisbane 2015

Come and see for yourself the ultimate in Wooden surfboards.

Bywater Design in Collaboration with CarbaTec will be demonstrating shaping techniques for hollow wooden surfboards all this weekend at the

Working With Wood Show RNA Brisbane. We will have the ultimate in wooden surfboard collections, with an extensive range of completed student work along with paulownia timber available for purchase on the day. We look forward to seeing you there !

Maple Hall Cabinet

Providing essential storage for keys, wallets, phones etc... This Hall Cabinet was designed with practical yet design considerations in mind.

Created from Rock Maple Timber and coupled with the warm contrast of American Walnut, this Hall cabinet is of course fitted with dovetailed drawers and accompanied with soft close runners  providing effortless ease of use.

The advantage of custom making provides stylish solutions to practical problems.

Silver Ash Chest of Drawers

The original Chest of Drawers as seen below was made in 1995. Constructed from resalvaged Qld Maple and English Oak, this stunning chest of drawers comprises of 106 hand made cut dovetails...

The English Oak legs were made from a deceased tree in Canberra, the oak was then sandblasted for a weathered effect.

The drawers ran on brass rails and there were no sides or back to the cabinet , except for the N profile.

The structure was held together with the top and bottom drawers attached to the N profile legs.

Fast forward to 2015 and here is the 21st century version of the chest of drawers...

Dovetailed drawers throughout

Hand shaped bowed front

same style as the original but with the luxury of full extension and soft close runners.

Restoration of Art Deco Nest of Tables

A wonderful client recently brought in her grandmothers beloved nest of tables .  They were in pieces and in dire need of TLC. Dating around 1920 these are a wonderful example of the Art Deco .

We painstakingly  restored these glorious pieces where they will be enjoyed for many generations to come...

Satlfest Surf Festival 2015

2015 and   Bywater Design has hit the ground running.  Restoration and Polishing up a storm and classes have begun in earnest and are running to full capacity. We are proud and happy of our enthusiastic students who make each weeknight a pleasure for Stuart and Dave to teach.  

We are proud this weekend to be involved in the inaugural Saltfest Surf Festival at Kirra Beach Coolangatta.

The Festival on March 1 will have an exciting array of Surfboards, surfwear, art, music delicious food and beverages, and more.  We would love you to come and say hi, in this beautiful part of the world.  A glorious way to spend a Sunny Sunday.

For more information head over to Saltfest Surf Festival

The New Surfboard Fad...

Well we have known for quite a while about the sustainability, the versatility, the many advantages of Creating your own Wooden Surfboard. The Sydney Morning Herald this week has highlighted these very things, that make Bywater Surfboards a wise and ecological choice for creating your perfect surfboard and riding experience...

For further information on our Wooden Surfboards, our classes or if you would like a custom made surfboard, please do not hesitate contact us

Article Source; The Sydney Morning Herald Feb 1 2015

Bywater Design Student Work - December 2014

We are so proud of our hardworking ever enthusiastic woodworking Students. Throughout the year they embark on designing and making their own projects.

They are all wonderfully varied and the finished product shows the skills and techniques that they have learned throughout the year.

Peter has been working on these beautiful chairs through out the year, and with Davids expert guidance he has created these stunning chairs , made from jarrah and Qld Maple.

These are a credit to both Peter and David and will be a beautiful accompaniment to the Table Peter completed before hand.

In Store Demonstration At Carba Tec - this Saturday December 13

Come and be a part of the fun discovering new skills when Stuart Demonstrates the Art of Surfboard Shaping...

Just a taste of what happens in our Hollow Wooden Surfboard Classes.

For more information...Just scroll over to the Classes page or drop us an Email

Brisbanes Only Hollow Wooden Surfboard Classes for 2015 - At Bywater Design

HOLLOW SURFBOARD CLASSES FOR 2015 Semester One

THE ONLY WOODEN SURFBOARD CLASSES IN BRISBANE

2 day shaping class

This 2 day shaping class is where all the assembly work is done for you.

You come in and shape your board to your individual requirements, rail shaping and fin placement, and it is ready for glassing after the two days.

Of course Bywater Design offers you the choice of timber, deck patterns, and various board sizes from our catalogue so you are still getting the timber board of your dreams; just the messy assembly work is done for you.

Or the classic

Tuesday night surfboard making class

For those that like to take their time we are offering the 8 week course of 3 hours a night each week to build your board from our components supplied,

Of course Bywater design offers you the choice of timber, deck patterns, and various board sizes from our catalogue so you are still getting the timber board of your dreams, and you get to do all the assembly work, the board is then ready to be glassed.

2 DAY SHAPING CLASS

FEBRUARY; 14 AND 15   (SATURDAY AND SUNDAY)

MAY; 16 AND 17 (SATURDAY AND SUNDAY)

CLASSIC WOODEN SURFBOARD MAKING CLASS

MARCH 3 – TUESDAY NIGHTS FOR 8 WEEKS

MAY 26^TH – TUESDAY NIGHTS FOR 8 WEEKS

As your surfboard is custom made prices will vary but the cost will start from $1100 and vary according to timber, and size choices

For more information; including surf pack, timber catalogue choices and detailed pricing please email us on;

surf@bywaterdesign.com.au

Places are strictly limited so best to act now and reserve your

POSITION IN BRISBANE’S ONLY HOLLOW WOODEN SURFBOARD CLASSES.

Wooden Surfboard Fins from Japan

It was a great delight to see in Australia and in Brisbane Nobuhito Ohkawa (aka Nobbby)  who made a special visit to my workshop.

Nobby makes beautiful wooden surfboards and surfboard fins in Chiba City, just outside of Tokyo .

We have become friends over the last few years, sharing experiences, and  I was lucky enough to see his workshop whilst I was in Japan last year, and I was happy to return the hospitality this week when Nobby made  a visit to our Northgate workshop whilst he was in Brisbane .

Nobby personally delivered my custom made fins which are made from walnut , rock maple and purple heart.

I cannot wait to attach these on to one of my boards and test it out in the water

Its all in the Detail...Why is Custom Making is always a good idea

One of the many benefits of having an item  of furniture Custom Made is the wonderful array of fine details in the design that can make that piece of furniture essentially yours. Whether it is the addition of dovetails, a shadow line, a rebate in the table top, the inclusion of these fine details enhance the classic design that you have chosen.  Creating an individual style customised for your home décor and lifestyle.

Media Units ~ Entertainment Units ~Media Consoles

TV Units, Media Units, Entertainment Rooms, ,whichever name you call them, they all contain  the ever extensive array of media components we accumulate, be it for viewing, gaming or listening , the media unit is an integral part of the home and care and thought should be given to this investment. Not only do they hold and hide all this equipment  a good entertainment unit should highlight and improve your viewing and watching experience.

With proper ventilation,  appropriate height and depth, a custom made entertainment unit will take into account each individual component you have and store each and every one in a solid yet well ventilated area.

In addition the unit will allow for future purchases ensuring all your components will last maintaining  their longevity.

Just a brief sample of the wonderful custom made entertainment units we have recently completed for very happy clients.

Summer Board Making Class - December 2014 ...

Summer is almost here !! Hooray !

And we have time for one more board making class before Christmas.

Classes will commence Tuesday October 28 and run until December 16.

We have a few places left so be quick and contact us now surf@bywaterdesign.com.au Hang Ten !

January 2015 Hollow Wooden Surfboard Classes and Paulownia Timber Sales

Very proud students with their finished wooden boards. Winter 2014

In only  a few short months, Bywater Design will be offering their summer class of Hollow Wooden Surfboard Making.

In 8 easy classes, you will be able to design and make your own hollow surfboard, with the timber of your choosing in only 8 nights.

All ready for glassing or polishing.

Classes will commence in February  2015.

So for more information please contact us at; surf@bywaterdesign.com.au  and we will send you an information pack on all the details.

PAULOWNIA TIMBER SALES

As part of our ongoing commitment to our clients and students, Bywater Design now proudly offers the sale of Paulownia Timber.

Dressed and packed all ready for your hollow wooden board kit.

We offer the following timber lengths and specifications;

Lengths of 2.4 or 3 meters

200*8 rough sawn  = $7.20 Lm

200*6 dressed 2 faces = $8.20 Lm

195*6 DAR = $9.20 Lm    as per photo

Panels made to order

585*5, 4 or 3mm  = $40 Lm

150*38 Rough sawn  = $16.90 Lm

Other sizes can be ordered  POA.

For timber orders or for further information please contact us ; timber@bywaterdesign.com.au

French Style Writing Desk

With over 300 hours of labor, this French Insprired Writing Desk was a journey of time, patience and fine detailed work. Our lovely client was inspired by a similar desk at The Lourve and wanted to emulate the fine work, and all the fine details that encapsulate this wonderful writing desk.

A rich warm timber was needed to enhance the soft design of the desk whilst blending in with the existing décor so Qld Maple was used for these beautiful qualities

The design of the desk evolved after extensive collaboration with the client and included such wonderful features such as;

handcrafted dovetailed drawers ,

Custom Brass beading , to highlight  the panels and brass  fretwork around the marble to embellish the design

Roll top curved timber panel door

Internal locking doors, to ensure individual compartments could be closed for privacy

The style was to emulate Louis XV opulent, yet discreet,

Marble top in keeping with the style....

Once the writing desk was made it was then hand  polished and rubbed back to a 60% gloss to enhance its patina

Custom Made Games Table

With a love of fun , including , poker, board games and jigsaw puzzles, our clients wanted a square classic looking table that would easily house a 10,00 jigsaw puzzle, or stage a long night of poker or some family Monopoly Fun.... We created this Stylish Qld Maple table, with frosted glass for ease of cleaning and maintenance. In addition to the hidden drawers on one side to accommodate decks of cards, dice and all the other important accessories for games night !

The leather back chairs were also exclusively designed for comfort and practicality.  Using cream leather, as upholstery these dining chairs make for a chic addition to the table.

White 2 Pack Entertainment Unit

With a myriad of consoles, discs, and other media components, this family room area was in dire need of streamlining. Tidying up the area, being able to house all the various components, this multi functional storage area would provide all the necessary space to do just that as well as work in effortlessly with the existing decor

Using 2 pack as the finish, the patchwork effect provides personality and quirkiness to an otherwise white bland wall.

The ample storage makes cleaning a breeze.

And of course all our drawers are dovetailed and run on undercarriage soft close runners which provide effortless and whisper quiet operation.