The Process

Collaboration in Bespoke Furniture Design

Lloyd Brooke Furniture has a selection of bespoke furniture designs which can be chosen as bespoke pieces for your home, modifying dimensions only, to fit your space.

For customers who have something different in mind, I offer a full custom service from the ground up. Once nearing the sign off stage, a computer sketch will be provided to give an accurate visual representation of the piece and its dimensions.

Customers are also invited to our home workshop in Kerikeri, Northland to discuss in detail the exact requirements of their piece, whether these be dimensions, timber choice or structural and finishing options.

designing bespoke furniture - the timber selection

Designed in Kerikeri, New Zealand

Once the furniture design has been signed off by the customer, timber will be collected to match your existing décor and preference.

Using a few machines to get the timber to rough dimensions, the piece is then ready for finessing with planes, chisels and saws.

Hand Tool Joinery

The workshop is small, and, without access to large industrial machines, I find hand tools offer a brilliant way of refining joinery and achieving a flawless surface.

Using hand tools not only adds uniqueness to each piece but also an uncompromising strength. A lot of the furniture will incorporate age-old joinery techniques, namely the mortise and tenon, and dovetail joint. Also, each surface will be graced by the hand plane to remove marks left by machine cutter heads.

joinery is a key element in bespoke furniture

Handmade bespoke furniture designs are best protectected win linseed oil

The Finish

Furniture is protected with a linseed oil-based finish, made by Livos, Germany. This is a non-toxic finish which is easily maintainable by the customer. It sits in the fibres of the wood, avoiding a “plastic” type coating, defining and projecting the beauty of the grain.