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

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

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 

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

Christmas Deliveries

The festive season is fast approaching. It is our favourite but busiest time of the year.

If you would like to place an order for an item of furniture to be in your home ready for Christmas please order before the 1st of December. 

Although we will still happily take orders after this date we can not guarantee that furniture ordered after the 30th of November will be with you before Christmas.

thank you

Oak drop leaf dining table

This beautiful, made-to-order oiled oak dining table is making its way to a customer as I type!

The table displays all the individual characteristics and charm of any handmade oak furniture.

The knots, grain and colour variations make each table completely unique.

Our furniture is always delivered ready assembled which not only adds to the durability of the piece but also means that as soon as your table arrives you can serve dinner!

oak furniture care

The benefits of oak furniture

One of the main benefits of choosing oak furniture is its ability to last. Oak is a hardwood with a tight grain which means it is durable and can take almost anything your daily family life can throw at it!

Oak furniture is often considered to be expensive but its enduring quality and sturdiness will stand the test of time. You shouldn't have to replace well made oak furniture through daily use and owning solid oak furniture is an investment that can last a lifetime.

As well as being strong and durable oak is a lovely warm wood. The attractive appearance of oak is down to the grain, which has a subtle variegation, and to its distinctive light golden colour.

As a natural product the texture of the wood surface can vary and is made up of characteristic knots, grain, pattern and colour variations that give the oak its natural beauty and charm.

The individual nature of the wood ensures no two items of furniture are ever exactly the same. Every single item is unique.

Caring for your oak furniture

Keeping your oak furniture looking good is very simple and you will find oak is one of the easiest types of furniture to care for.

With just a small amount of care, your oak furniture will reward you with a lifetime of use. 

As you would imagine, we love wood and we hand select all the timber we use to make our furniture.

Unless requested, we finish our oak with oil. We feel this adds protection to the furniture without taking away from the natural beauty of the wood.

To clean your oiled furniture just dust or wipe it down without using spray or cleaning products and give it a light coat of Danish or Teak Oil when you feel the wood needs it. This might be when the colour begins to look a little tired from natural light or when you feel the wood has dried a little due to the heat in your home. This may need to be done every 6 to 12 months.

These oils are readily available in most DIY shops.

An oiled finish provides your furniture with a light water resistant surface but spills should be soaked up as soon as possible and then dried off with a clean cloth. As all of our table tops are made from solid oak, should you damage the surface of your furniture with a burn, scratch or stain you should be able to remove the damage with light sanding and a reapplication of oil.

Mats and table covers are always a good idea for cups or plates.

ajb interiors shop online

We have now launched our shiny new online shop where you can see examples of our furniture and you can buy online!

If you fancy a browse you will find it here

www.ajb-interiors.com/shop

Shops Away!

All our furniture is made-to-order so, if you would like an item of furniture that you can't find elsewhere, get in touch and we will happily talk it through with you and give you a quote without obligation.

full steam ahead

After a very busy month of moving, sweeping, painting and general tinkering we now have our new premises up and running and we are raring to go!

We have refreshed our ebay furniture and home accessories listings with a new look and also have a lovely new booklet showing some examples of our recent furniture and home accessories.


take a closer look

Our ebay listings can be viewed HERE and paper copies of our booklet can be sent to you by post or emailed on request.

Handmade bench / stool

This small, solid oak bench was designed and made to fit with a customer's existing dining table. It is the perfect little 'pull-out' for extra seating. This bench could be made to any size or finish , making it ideal as extra seating around a dining table. It could easily push under the table and out of the way when not in use.


Perfect for those Christmas get togethers!

design your own furniture

Design your own bespoke furniture that fits uniquely with your home and lifestyle and we'll create it for you.

From a simple rough sketch...

... to a 100% handmade, solid oak, bespoke item of furniture.

If you think you would like to have some bespoke furniture creating please get in touch for a 'no obligation' quote.

ajb-interiors.com

kitchen makeover

A kitchen is often one of the most expensive rooms of your home to makeover. Appliances, tiles, and granite can all add up to an eye-watering cost! But freshening up your kitchen needn't cost a fortune. If the basics of your kitchen are sound you can make some simple changes to bring new life into your kitchen.

We created brand new, handmade, made-to-measure replacement doors and drawer fronts in solid oak for this kitchen. The result is a fresh, new looking kitchen at a fraction of the cost.

Click HERE to enlarge image.

If you would like a quote for us to create drawer fronts, doors, shelving, furniture or fascias for your kitchen please get in touch. We would be more than happy to talk it over with you.

Button hearts now for sale online

We love making our button hearts and they have always been popular and attracted a lot of attention in the shop so we thought we would add a selection to our online Etsy shop.

Each one is unique and is handmade with lots of love and lovely buttons.

You can buy them here.