Angus Ross began as a designer for mass manufactured plastic products and thirty years ago he switched to making commissioned fine furniture. He added being a woodsman when he joined a collective, sustainably managing a beautiful local bluebell wood. Our furniture is hand made in our studio-workshop in Aberfeldy, Perthshire, Scotland. This means that at each stage of the process, from selecting timber to the final sanding and oiling, great care and attention are taken to ensure durability, functionality and joy.
We work in a traditional workshop (in continuous use for woodwork since 1880’s). We have a wonderful team including four furniture-makers / cabinetmakers. Angus designs on paper, with model-making and using CAD and this is discussed with the client if commissioned furniture. We specialise in steam-bending and this is combined with multiple woodwork techniques to create sensuous curves and furniture with flow.
We source our oak from an ancient woodland, that we also manage for bio-diversity and resilience. One or two trees are thinned out each year to allow light into over-crowded areas, and this helps natural regeneration of new native trees. Experimenting with this old gnarly wood led us to appreciate our local, characterful, richly coloured oak. Steam-bending allows us to use this wood very efficiently. We are offered wood from local tree-surgeons and saw-millers who specialise in native timber and our practise supports these important traditional woodland skills. Most wooden furniture is timber sourced from industrial scale extraction that is devastating to forests.
We are striving to be as low carbon as possible.
Our electricity is from Bulb and renewable sources.
Our packaging is compostable cardboard.
Our wood waste heats our house, sawdust is made into briquettes and fires a kiln.