Driftwood

Centuries ago, crofters across the islands used whatever they could get their hands on to fashion their own Orkney chairs. Straw from the land formed the seat, the backs and hoods, but it was bounty from the seas that provided the backbone of their furniture.

Driftwood has always been a precious commodity in Orkney. With a lack of natural woodland across the archipelago, islanders in years gone by would have scoured the shoreline, scavenging for wood to help furnish their homes.

Nowadays there is far easier access to wood and the demand for driftwood has died away, but we’re determined to build our own furniture with more than a nod to our island heritage.

Thanks to a network of beachcombers, surfers and walkers, we regularly receive reports about huge pieces of driftwood washed up on the shore around Orkney. The challenge is getting there, and then getting the wood home! We look for larger pieces so we can create chairs, tables, stools and much more. Because of the sizes involved, we have to use anything from off-road vehicles to jet-skis to collect the driftwood and take it back to our workshop.

The journey doesn’t stop there though. We let the Orkney elements do their thing – the rain washes out the salt water and the wind helps dry it off. We then place it in our hot room to get it ready for working with.

It’s not a quick process. Sometimes we dry the driftwood out for up to three years, just so it’s in the perfect condition.

Why do we go do this? Because there is nothing quite as beautiful as a sea-stained, well-travelled piece of driftwood. It’s full of natural blemishes and markings, and you can be sure it is truly unique.

Take a look at our gallery below to see some of the pieces we’ve collected from the Orkney shoreline over the years, and some of our finished driftwood products.

If you’d like your own piece of special driftwood furniture, get in touch with us to discuss your options.