handmade staggered oak shelving unit

Can be wall hung or free standing.

New Furniture

We are working on some new items that will be available soon.

Customer photos

It has been quite some time since we last added to this blog. The start of a New Year seemed like a good time to post an update, but we promptly broke that New Year resolution and, before we knew it, January was already over and now February too is almost at an end!

Traditionally the start of the year is a busy time for us, not that you will hear us complaining! There’s nothing we like more than the buzz of enquiries, orders and production in our beloved little workshop. 

Although enquiries and orders are obviously always wonderful to see, there is one particular type of email that we particularly enjoy. From time to time we receive customer messages along with photographs showing items of our furniture settling nicely into their new home. 

These pictures somehow seem to complete the process perfectly. Usually we will receive an order, sketch out the item, carefully select the timber at the sawmill, handcraft, finish and package the furniture and then, we will either deliver locally or send the item through a courier, never to be heard of (by us) again! This makes it especially nice to hear from happy customers once they have received their new furniture and even better when we are sent an image or two of that furniture in their home. 

In recent weeks we have received some great images that do just that. We're posting them with the hope that they may inspire you to share photos of your own AJB Interiors furniture, we’d absolutely love to see them!

One lovely customer, Wendy in Gloucestershire, recently had a bespoke shelving unit made which, we are sure you’ll agree, looks amazing in her beautiful kitchen. We love her use of coloured baskets to really bring the shelving to life. She emailed us with these great pictures and kind words:

"Thank you so much for the lovely, beautifully made shelf unit. We're really delighted with it and as you can see it fits in perfectly. Just the job!!"

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Joyce posted this image to our Facebook page. That, and the lovely message that went with it, really made our day as these Ercol inspired tables were a particular pleasure to make. We are so pleased with how they look in Joyce’s gorgeous room and they’re ideal for holding these impressive lamps.

"Antony has created 2 excellent lamp tables from my design. The quality is superb. They are exactly what I wanted and I'm very pleased. Many thanks."

If you have an item of our furniture we would love to see a snap of it and here’s how you can share it...

You can email your images to ajbinteriors@hotmail.com 

or send them to us through 

Twitter @ajbinteriors

Facebook AJBInteriors.furniture

Instagram @ajb.interiors

More than just furniture

We make more than just furniture. We can also make oak home accessories including candle holders, clocks, mirrors, door stops and chopping boards.

We are always happy to work on new ideas.

Get in touch if you have an idea for an accessory that you would like to have made out of oak.

ajbinteriors@hotmail.com

Ordering with us

What do you want? 

It is best to begin with a good initial idea of the size, material, functionality and finish of the piece you are looking for.

How much will it cost? 

An item of furniture that is handmade to your requirements does not have to be more expensive than one that is factory made. The price of a piece will often be determined by the materials used, how complicated the design is and by how long it takes to make and the finish. The furniture we have available online is meant as a guide to costs and style. Of course, if you find an item among them that is exactly what you are looking for we will happily make it for you, but we are equally happy to adjust sizes, styles and materials to create an item of furniture to your specifications. We offer free quotes without obligation to buy. Our aim is to produce an item of furniture that fits your specific requirements exactly and that you are proud to have in your home.

All our furniture is handmade in our workshop in West Yorkshire. As an independent furniture designer-maker we are able to keep our costs low and our quality high. We regularly research other similar products to keep our prices as competitive as we possibly can.

"Furniture that is handmade to your requirements does not have to be more expensive than factory made pieces." 

What will I get? 

The finished item will be based on your individual preferences and requirements, resulting in a piece that is unique to you and that meets your practical needs. More importantly, the item should be a personal piece you enjoy using and that you love having in your home. 

How long will it take to make? 

For ease we often require payment once the order is placed, if this is not possible a deposit payment may be negotiated. Production will then be booked into our work schedule. As each item is made to order we recommend that you allow at least 12 to 14 days for delivery. During busy times this may increase but, likewise, you may receive your order earlier during quieter periods. If you require your furniture within a specific timeframe please let us know before you place your order and we will be able to advise you of our schedule.

How will I receive my order. 

Orders can be collected or delivered if you are local to our workshop but most of our furniture is carefully packaged and sent, ready-made, by courier. Please contact us if you require more information about delivery.

Can I return an item? 

We will do everything possible to agree your item’s specifications before production. Please make sure that the details you provide are correct as we are unfortunately unable to offer returns or exchanges on our furniture. Please also double check the shipping address you supply as we are redirecting parcels is often difficult and can incur additional costs.

"keep up the good work!"

As a small business we believe in working hard to ensure each of our customers is a happy customer. It’s for this reason that repeat orders are so important to us.

We are lucky enough to have really lovely customers and we love hearing from them. The feedback we receive through emails, eBay, Freeindex and social media are not only great to hear but also help to steer us in the right direction. We’re proud of the reputation AJB Interiors has built over the past 20 years and, for us, the customers that come back time after time are proof that we are getting it right! Return customers are not only the lifeblood of our business, they tell us that the customer was happy with our service and furniture; happy enough to come back to us to order more. This is the very best feedback we could hope to receive.

With that in mind, we had an email last week from a customer that we have made various items of bespoke furniture for. She suggested that we share the review she sent, so here it is…

"We have a houseful of furniture custom made by Antony over the last few years including a sideboard, coffee table, nest of tables, telephone cabinet, bookshelves, mirrors and most recently bedside tables. They are all exceptional quality items, produced at competitive prices. Keep up the good work!”

(Told you our customers are lovely!)

Thank you so much Glenda for taking the time to write and send such a glowing review. Thank you too to all our customers for their continued support, especially the ones that return time after time. You enable Antony to continue making furniture and doing the job he loves to do.

bookcase

March 3rd is World Book Day and we couldn't resist joining in and posting our #shelfie!

P.S If you're looking for somewhere to store your beloved books let us know! 

ajb interiors on ebay

Visit our eBay shop to order the pieces shown 

and other handmade oak items.

http://www.ebay.co.uk/usr/85antony

ajb interiors - oak furniture

sideboards

Sideboards are an ideal item of furniture 

to provide both storage and decoration 

in your home. 

Sideboards became popular in the early 1800s when a home, and the furniture within it, became an indication of the homeowner’s wealth. Often associated with dining rooms, only the wealthiest families of the time could afford to have a room dedicated to eating and entertaining. Today the sideboard, with a variety of functional uses, has spread from the dining room and grown into a multi-purpose item and a useful addition to any room in the home.

There are now so many sideboards available to choose from that if you’re looking for one to store a specific item, or that has just the right amount of shelving or drawer space you should be spoilt for choice. If you do struggle to find exactly what you are looking for you can design a sideboard to suit your requirements and have it made to order.

This week we received a lovely tweet from a customer who did exactly that and we were over the moon to see a photograph of the item in their home.

If you have an item of our furniture we would love to see a snap of it.

You can email your images to ajbinteriors@hotmail.com or send it to us on Twitter @ajbinteriors

donating furniture

                                                                                                                    Image source

Was decluttering your home one of your New Year's resolutions?

A new year feels like the ideal time for a good clear out; out with the old and in with the new!

Some believe that throwing away our unloved belongings can transform our lives. Others believe that updating our living space can help us feel refreshed and invigorated ready for the new year ahead. It’s true that the first few months of the year are a great time to grab a bargain as stores inundate us with seasonal sales. Whatever your reason for wanting to renew your living space it's worth thinking about what to do with your old furniture. An estimated 10 million household items are sent to landfill every year and most of the furniture disposed of in the UK is in good condition and could be reused. 

10 million household items are sent to landfill every year.

3 million of these items could be re-used by people in crisis

Source

If you are set to rejuvenate your home as one of your new year goals it’s worth considering and researching what to do with your old furniture.

Local furniture projects heavily rely on donations of good quality furniture along with other household items such as white goods and electrical items. There is likely to be one in your community that would greatly appreciate your pre-loved furniture. It’s true that "one man’s rubbish is another man’s treasure" - when you no longer need a specific item of furniture it doesn’t mean that it has come to the end of its useful life and it may well be of use to someone else.

Here are some of our suggestions for donating furniture:

1.

A simple Google search will help you discover charities in your region that sell furniture, either to raise money or that pass furniture on to those in need. There are large charities across the country, such as Sue Ryder, British Heart Foundation and The Red Cross that take furniture donations and many will even collect your old furniture free of charge. Details can usually be found on their websites.

2.

The Furniture Re-use Network has tonnes of information about why it’s a good idea to donate your old furniture, how it helps both people in need and the environment. They also have a handy directory of charities that take furniture donations across the UK.

3.

Emmaus is a national charity that also takes furniture donations. They operate as a social enterprise; taking saleable pieces of furniture, giving them a new lease of life in their up-cycling workshops before selling them on. The money they make is reinvested in the charity which helps people literally work their way out of homelessness.

4.

Before you donate make sure furniture is in a decent condition, clean and complete. Any upholstered furniture may need to have a fire label attached. It’s always worth checking what type of furniture can be donated too as different charity organisations may collect slightly different items.

We would (obviously!) never tell you not to buy new, good quality furniture but if you are thinking of replacing an old item consider how, what you think of as clutter, could benefit others. Research the charities in your community that rely on  donations and, next time you buy an item of our furniture, why not donate an unwanted item to a really great cause. 

lead times

As Antony continues to recover from surgery on his hand it has been necessary for us to increase our production and delivery times. We apologise for any inconvenience and intend to return to our normal lead times as soon as possible.

Please do not hesitate to email us with any questions or queries.

Thank you

ouch!

We'd like to apologise in advance for any delays responding to email enquiries or if delivery times are slightly longer than expected.

Antony is undergoing unexpected surgery on his hand today. We will be back to full steam as soon as we possibly can but, in the meantime, please bear with us while he is out of action. 

Your custom is important to us and we will do all we can to fulfil orders as soon as possible. Thank you for your patience, it is really appreciated while Antony recovers.

what's a whatnot?

We recently had an enquiry from a customer to design and make a whatnot.

It’s not an item that we receive requests for very often and after chatting to some friends it would appear that it’s not an item of furniture that many people have even heard of these days.

Whatsnot to like?

A whatnot is the name given to an item of furniture which usually consists of a stand with shelving.

According to dictionary.reference.com the name was first used in the early 1800’s and was so named for the objects it was designed to hold. The term ‘whatnot' is used to describe items that are unspecified which basically means you can use a whatnot for absolutely anything at all! 

So, as a whatnot is such a useful piece of furniture, we decided we’d add one to our eBay shop and see if we can bring the whatnot up to date and change the fortunes of this handy item just a little bit. 

Take a look at our whatnot on eBay 

new home sweet home

Image source

We have finally moved into our lovely new home this week and we are gradually unpacking the mountain of boxes! As we are still settling in we don't have our usual internet access at the moment. We will still be responding to emails but please bear with us if we are slow to reply to enquiries or orders. We'll be up and running at full power shortly. 

small space living

We have a thing about small furniture at the moment. We are in the process of moving into a smaller (but perfectly formed) new home and it’s got our creative minds working! 

We believe that living in a smaller home shouldn't mean you have to make do with less but it does pay to be smart about how you organise the space you do have. There are plenty of tricks to help 'open up' your living space which don't need to involve heavy duty power tools, tearing down walls or costly renovation!

Well designed furniture can help with storage and save space when it’s at a premium.

Folding dining tables can be used as needed and then easily reduce in size to be stored when not in use, for example. Tall furniture, such as floor to ceiling shelving, wardrobes or cupboards, can help utilise the height of a room rather than taking up valuable floor space.

We are often asked to 

design and create furniture 

that fits a very specific 

space or function. 

If you have a space in your home that you would like to make good use of but just can’t find the perfect item of furniture to fit you could consider having something made for you. We are often asked to design and create furniture that fits a specific space or purpose. Cutting a space so an item fits snuggly round a skirting board, creating a hole through a media unit for unsightly wires or producing small unobtrusive corner tables are almost weekly requests.

      

Image source 

Using some of the experience Antony has gained over his many years as a furniture maker we are sharing just a few of our ideas for small space living:

Choose multipurpose furniture. Items of furniture which are dual purpose will save space while being a useful addition to a room. A sofa bed or a wall shelf that pulls out on hinges to become a desk are possible ideas.

Create space. Try movable shelves or cupboards. Shelves that can be adjusted in a bookcase, for example, create space for a variety of items and can be changed easily to suit an alternative purpose quickly and easily. Fitting castors to the bottom of your furniture will enable you to move items around easily if you decide to change the layout of your home. Furniture that is slightly raised also gives the illusion of more space as you can see the floor beneath.

Reduce clutter. Buy furniture that fits your individual storage needs. Organise your belongings on shelves or away in drawers. Create a specific home for any items that are usually left scattered around such as papers and magazines, books, tv remotes or DVDs.

Bespoke furniture. Have furniture custom made to make use of any particularly awkward spaces.

• Thin shelves to prop books on rather than a standard bookcase can be cut to any length and can be made narrow enough to store books in the 'dead space' behind a door.
• A clever coffee table that offers extra extra shelving below the table top. You could also use a cushion to make a sturdy coffee table into a large stool when you need extra seating.
• Use small shelves at each side of your bed to eliminate the need for bedside units. These can be painted to match your walls and created to fit even the smallest space.
• A custom console table that is made as narrow as your room requires will provide an additional surface without the need for depth.
• A nest of tables gives you the option of having extra surface space when you need it.

Have furniture custom made 

to make use of any particularly 

awkward spaces in your home.

Furniture by AJB Interiors

Make good use of space. If storage space is an issue, you can utilise areas such as under your bed, under stairs or on top of a wardrobe. You can buy a bed with built-in storage or use containers. Custom made drawers will fit exactly and look attractive if visible. The addition of castors will make heavy drawers easy to access. Drawers under a bed are an ideal place for storing bulkier items such as spare duvets, winter coats and shoes. 

Make your furniture 
work for you. 
However big or small your home, you have more room than you think!

oak round top tables

Our new round tables are made from solid oak which makes them strong, durable, versatile and a great functional addition to any living area. 

A 30cm diameter round table top on 4 straight legs, the perfect size for resting a large glass of wine or a piping hot cup of tea! Designed to tuck away into a corner or by the side of a sofa when not in use. 

These tables have an oil finish and are produced using traditional furniture making techniques.

Small table: Height: 40cm x Width: 30cm

Medium table: Height: 55cm x Width: 30cm

Large table: Height: 70cm x Width: 30cm

handmade large oak stool

Our handmade oak stool is an ideal addition to any room in the home where seating is needed. 

Hand-crafted to withstand modern family life.

Height: 70 cm

Width: 40 cm

Depth 30 cm