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Whats happening lately
The Second month of Winter in Brisbane was generous in its sunny days and abundance of colour
Winter mornings are crisp and clear.
Cool nights made for perfect tea weather
No weekend is complete without a trip to the beach . Even when the weather is less than ideal, the water is perfect escapism . The chance to recharge.
May August be kind to us all
#staywell
The past month we have been restoring some beautiful pieces of furniture for our clients …
Perhaps one of our favourite pieces has included this beautiful inlay treasure box.
Beauty in the detail
Dated from the 1900’s this gorgeous box comes with history and character.
Our Client was wanting to pass it to her grandson and wanted it restored back to its former glory.
So we happily obliged
before restoration
beautiful finished results
After carefully repairing the veneers and the mother of pearl, Stuart applied a new lining (whilst keeping the original underneath for posterity) and polished to a bring out the gorgeous detail in the inlay
The details in this box are just exquisite
Projects like these give us so much joy, where we are able to help a family carry on their traditions and heirlooms
#lovewhatwedo
The days have been clear and sunny for the first month of Winter. Brisbane is a wonderful place to be right now.
Blue sky days and cool evenings make for a pleasant change …
Blue sky mornings make for a wonderful backdrop against the vibrant penda
Bouganvillea never fails to disappoint with its vibrant bold hues
Moon gazing
Beautiful clear winter evenings are the perfect chance to gaze at the night sky and take in the breaktaking sight of a perfect full moon.
taking it one step at a time
Taking the time for a beach escape… breathing in fresh salty air, taking a swim in the chrystal clear water are the simple moments that we never take for granted.
The little things are often the big things and in a chaotic world they are the things that keep us grounded , they keep us centered, they give us the energy to keep going.
Here’s to July, may it be filled with health , happiness and contentment for all
Daniele
It was with much enthusiasm that we re commenced our Woodworking Classes this month.
We welcomed a very happy group of students to our Boondall Workshop on Saturday Morning June 6.
Stuart began the day with an introductory talk about design , construction methods and the various tools used to construct solid timber furniture.
Prior to class commencement, the students nominated their timber of choice along with their individual dimensions that would enable each student to create the table that would suit their home perfectly.
There is little advantage in offering a cookie cutter project as the joy of woodworking is being able to create something beautiful that suits you, your home , your decor your personal taste…
The first day saw students prepping their table parts, including working out the grain pattern, glueing up the tops and then working on the underframe .
A productive morning on the bandsaw
Shaping is a good arm workout
Graeme enjoying learning new skills
Its all in the construction
Check twice, mark once,
A productive day for our students
The second day, saw our students complete construction on their tables, cutting to the desired length, hand planing to ensure the edges are smooth.
This was then followed by sanding all parts to ensure smooth even grains, route edging if so desired.
The final stage was the application of a polyurethane lacquer to protect and ensure longevity of the tables.
Megan, quite rightly proud of her woodworking skills
Our graduating students of June Introduction to Furniture Making Class
A beautiful table made by Megan , featuring Tasmanian Oak ans Cambia for the legs
Congrulation Graeme on a beautiful coffee table made from Surian Cedar
Cheers Harry, we love your Tasmanian Oak Hall table
It was a wonderful workshop, where we were able to share our love and knowledge of woodworking with such a wonderful bunch of people
To encourage their creativity, and to step away from the day to day and do something wonderful for yourself is a beautiful thing to do.
We can’t wait to welcome our August Intro to Furniture Making Students into our workshop and help them realize their woodworking dream
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
Fine tuning
The beautiful finished product
Taking pride of place in their new home
It has been an absolute joy to complete some beautiful restoration projects over the last few months.
We love providing a source of joy to our clients when they receive their recently restored piece of yesteryear.
Needing some love
Beautiful end result
Beautiful silky oak table restored
This gorgeous 1920’s Silky Oak Dining Suite with its classic shapes had “good bones” and needed some love to bring out its orginal glory.
We repaired, sanded and Stuart colour matched the finish of these to match the clients existing decor, so these pieces would blend seamlessly to their surrounds and not look new.
Our client then chose some bright floral fabric for the chairs to give a beautiful contrast to the silky oak timber.
A glorious end result to this wonderful era of furniture.
Beautiful blanket box
Blanket boxes are a wonderful practial addition to any home. Our Silky Oak friend here was in need of some TLC and we happily obliged.
Our restoration process included some major repair work to both the internal and external surfaces of this gorgeous 1920’s piece.
Our client once again chose exquisite fabric to complement the warmth of the Silky Oak Grain.
A beautiful old yet new addition to this family home
We have to admit, its been a rather weird month (again) but gathering the gratitude for the little things is what we find helps when things seem less than normal.
For me , one of the standouts this month has been the flowering of the ever beautiful camellia trees.
Their fluffy blooms are in abundance and they make such a gorgeous display of happiness. Coupled with blue skies , you can instantly feel the happiness factor elevate almost immediately
There is nothing nicer than a crisp Sunday morning with a good (strong) coffee and some home baked treats. With nowhere to be , and just taking time to sit and read and embrace some peace is what makes a Sunday perfect
What wonderful delights bougainvillea are at the moment. Gorgeous pops of colour are sprouting up everywhere and their happy bright hues are just sensational .
Being able to take day trips to the ocean has been a wonderful treat. The invigorating sea air, the sand between the toes , gazing out at the horizon is a perfect tonic for any day .
everyday miracles …
Breathtaking sunsets are truly a gift and this month there has been spectacuar endings to the day. Mother Nature has surely been dabbling in the paintbox with truly vibrant colours for us to enjoy.
Whilst this month may have not gone according to our original plans ,its been a peaceful month, taking stock counting our blessing for healthy family and friends and enjoying the every day moments that make us grateful for where we live .
Daniele
With the weather (slowly) turning to more Autumnal vibes at last and the need to be home is paramount we are proud to extend our timber furniture to our curated home decor items .
Our highly considered range was borne from the desire to create elegant timely pieces that are not only durable but beautiful , as we firmly believe that every day is special and should be celebrated accordingly .
We make all our products onsite in our Brisbane Qld Workshop from solid timber using recylcled or plantation timbers.
With the richness of cambia, the warmth of Jarrah, the buttery smoothness of Oak and the lightness of Pine we create unique homewares that are simply not mass produced but created with the care and attention right here in Queensland .
Tools of the trade in our Brisbane workshop
Our beautiful range includes solid timber chopping boards,the essential kitchen item but which can also do double duty for the essesntial pre dinner cheese platter.
Staying at home never was so good
Or if you err more to the sweet side
We have you covered …
Taking morning tea to a new level with our beautiful timber boards
Our impressive camphor laurel chopping boards do double duty as a stylish serving board.
Our sushi trays are made from various timbers including hoop pine, jarrah and cambia
And as the nights are drawing in why not add some mood lighting with our candle holders
beautiful ambience
in various sizes and timbers
the richness of cambia
or something bigger
Lighting the way …
For more information about our lovely range head on over here or we invite you to come down to our Woodwork Gallery and explore the range for yourself.
Restoration comes in many shapes and forms, it can be an old rocking chair, a writing desk, a dressing table or rattan furniture.
Rattan, cane or wicker furniture often lends itself to a wonderful restoration process, and done properly and professionally the results will last for so many years.
Like our beautiful examples below, be fuelled by colour, let the brightness shine and give that old lounge or table some special treatment and bring a little bit of sunshine into your home .
Crisp blue and fresh
Giving new life to old furniture
The perfect pink makeover
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
Easy to assemble
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.
We are exploring and enjoying this beautiful Autumnal weather even more lately, as we truly appreciate the beautiful fresh air, the subtle drop in temperature and the glorious change in light as we dive into a new month .
Solitude
Keep well
Keep happy
Tomorrow is a new day
Going about our day to day work in accordance with strict social distancing of course, is what we are doing at the moment.
Completing wonderful work for our clients gives us such a sense of purpose and pride even more so lately.
We have just completed restoration on this Classic 1920’s Silky Oak Dining Table
ready for the makeover
We repaired, sanded repolished to match our existing decor in our lovely clients home
Beautiful results in our restoration of silky oak dining table
Hello friends
The world is pretty weird at the moment, 2020 still continues to challenge us.
Like you are feeling uncertain and anxious about what is unfolding in our city in our beautiful country and beyond.
Health being our number one priority for ourselves, our family and our team, so we are strongly adhering to the hygiene and social distancing recommendations by Queensland Health and we’re ready to continue escalating those when its recommended.
As you know we are a small (but mighty) team and we are endeavouring to keep it that way.
At the moment we are continuing as per normal, our furniture restoration and custom making is continuing in earnest to maintain our high standard of craftmanship.
We are continuing on with our woodworking, furniture making and surfboard making (classes are kept small 7 maximum) and we will continue to do so with our usual passion and just a little more enthusiasm in these fluid times.
Our woodcraft gallery is open, and we are committed to providing a safe and healthy environment within for all that visit us.
As far as our content goes, we are going to stick with regular programming for now.
We want you to feel inspired and at ease, so we’ll continue to share our world with you as we would normally.
Whilst we're being told to distance ourselves socially, now more than ever, we need to find ways to keep connected.
Feel free to say hi, ask us questions we are here 😊
Stay safe, listen to expert advice and be kind to each other .
Regards
Daniele and Stuart
So said Michelangelo at age 87 and rightly so.
The quest for learning and for challenging oneself we believe should never wane.
That is why we take so much proud in our Woodworking classes.
Whether it is our traditional woodworking classes, learning the art of Surfboard Making or creating a hall table our classes are geared for the absolute beginner and aimed at fuelling the inner woodworker
We dont know who gets more satisfaction out of our classes ; the student who has just created an amazing surfboard, or our team on seeing and feeling the great satisfaction of our students.
That feeling when you’ve just made your very own surfboard !
Keeping our classes small ensures there is lots of time and space for personalised tuition. Being in a relaxed yet professional environment serves as a great base for our students to learn.
A lot of our students have no woodworking experience or have even stepped inside a woodworking workshop , so being able to gently guide and encourage learning in a productive and fun way is paramount to us.
If you think 2020 is the year you want to do something beautiful and creative for yourself, step away from the screens and immerse yourself in something new and challenging we urge you to peruse our Calendar of Learning Page and see what may interest you.
Of course you have questions and we are just an email away to answer any of your queries.
See you in class
We are celebrating all the wonderful things about our great nation ; stunning coastlines, camaraderie, beautiful sunrises, majestic and utterly captivating wildlife to name but a few of our favourite things on February 29 at Moffat Beach Sunshine Coast for our Bywater Design Surfboard Day.
We are getting together for a cause . We are raising much needed funds for Wildlife Rescue South Coast These awsome guys respond to wildlife rescue calls, and as you know they have been inundated for help for our furry friends of late…
We will meet at 6 am at Moffat Beach and head out for a surf, and have a well earned breakfast together afterwards. We’re putting on the free BBQ brunch, but we do ask that you make a contribution to
our fundraiser for Wildlife Rescue South Coast prior to the event.
There will be prizes on the day and the opportunity to ride one of our Demonstration Surfboards.
So bring your board , your sunscreen and a friend and we will see you at Moffat Beach on February 29
Regards
Daniele and Stuart
Being in the airline industry has certainly rubbed off for our lovely inner city clients, a personal request for Stuart when designing their bedroom suite was to have some “runway lights” as a feature .
Nothing too obstuse, but a gentle nod to the love of their career.
Happy to oblige, Stuart encorporated some elegant lighting along the bed panel that highlights the beautiful rich hue of the Cambia (think rich dark chocolate) and the warmth of Euro Beech …
Euro and Cambia Bedroom ensemble … featuring “runway” feature lights on the left
Along with the elegant bedroom ensemble we designed this clean looking sophisticated TV Unit.
With a “pop up” feature that enables the TV Screen to disappear within seconds .
Again we used Cambia and Euro Beech for effortless continuity.
Beautiful classic pieces that are highly functional yet serve as a wonderful canvas for the addition of personal bedroom accessories .
The natural beauty of Timber
Ready for a good nights sleep
2020 thus far has left a huge impact on our beautiful country.
Along with the rest of the nation we have watched in disbelief over what has happened in the last few weeks and months. We are in disbelief over the magnitude of the loss and devastation that has occured .
Our determination is strong both on a personal and professional level to do what we can to help with the rebuilding of communities and will continue to do so as time goes on.
Please trust that as we begin to get back to some kind of normal we are not turning a blind eye to what is still affecting all of us
For us to be in a position to offer further help it is important that we keep running Bywater Design as usual .
We thank you for your ongoing support
Daniele and Stuart
Never underestimating the power of bright beautiful colours, we completed these fabulous makeovers to some classic rattan furniture , with fabulous results
Classic shaped rattan chairs in dire need of some repairs and colour
These chairs are just perfect for outdoor or front deck living. They have such great shape and character.
We were keen to repair what was needed especially around the arms and prepare for the colour.
Big on the wow factor
Our clients chose a dramatic blue to really accentuate the wonderful features of this lounge. We used 2pack high gloss for longevity
We undertook the same process for the accompanying table
Restoration just makes good sense especially with impressive results such as these. What could have been destined for the rubbish bin is now beautifully repaired and restored and ready to begin a wonderful new life
The last couple of weeks we have completed some lovely restoration pieces for our clients.
They have made for wonderful birthday presents and the element of surprise at having a special sentimental piece of furniture lovingly restored is one of those heart pulling moments.
Bringing or restoring family heirlooms back to their or even better original glory is one of the most satisfying aspects of our work ( we know we say it all the time ) but the pleasure we gleam from this is enormous.
1930’s Pot Cupboard
beautiful end result for this iconic piece of furniture
Pot Cupboards were originalyy used to hold a chamber pot next to the bed before the advent of indoor plumbing.
quirky and cute this silky oak shelf is in need of some tlc
Repairs included in the restoration process brought this funky little stand into the now and will give it much need stability as well as bringing out the gorgeous Silky Oak grain . A light and natural finish provides the final touch on this wonderful antique.
As we are well and truly into the last month of the DECADE !! It is always worthwhile to relfect back on the past month and gather the gratitude for the last 30 days
The first flush of summer , is there anything sweeter than the scent of Frangipanis
The purple parade, making the day that much prettier
When your coffee is hot and strong. The day is off to a good start
When it rains, it pours .
The sound of rain was long overdue and the ping pong of hail on the roof signalled once again that summer storms are back, and lets hope with a lot more rain to come.
“Every summer has its story “ and we cant wait to see what unfolds this season
