Celebrating twenty years

Twenty years ago, I began work on my first commissioned Orkney chair. It was a gent’s chair to be made from oak. Because business was so new I was working with imported American timber, which took up most of the space in my relatively sparse workshop.

I was 19-years-old and at the beginning of an incredible journey, but at that exact moment it’s fair to say there were some nerves floating about!

That first piece of traditional furniture went to a local home and the customer gave me some hugely positive feedback. I realised then that making and selling hand-crafted furniture was something I could do, something I was good at, and something I wanted to do for as long as possible. I couldn’t wait to get started on the next chair.

Fast forward to 2024 and Orkney Hand Crafted Furniture is getting ready to celebrate two decades in business. The workshop looks a bit different these days, full of tools, cuttings, wood shavings, and oat sheaves stacked in the corner.

There’s less American timber these days. Instead, I have a huge collection of driftwood, reclaimed from the seas around Orkney, which I make traditional Orcadian furniture with just like folk did generations ago. There’s some Scottish burr elm and burr oak, to name a few, for Orkney chairs and modern pieces, including tables, mirror frames, and stools.

Although the materials have changed, the process has essentially stayed the same. I still source and collect driftwood locally, before carefully drying it out over many years. These days I can cut it on my own mill, a major investment I made a few years ago. Then it’s all about selecting the perfect pieces of wood for the design I’m working on.

There’s always something to learn, though. Just last year I’ve started repairing old Orkney straw backs with 100-year-old straw I’ve saved from antique chairs over the years, just to make sure the colours match as much as possible. I’ve also been adjusting my own stitching methods to repair the old backs by following the original maker’s style.

It’s this connection to the past that I really enjoy the most. Even in today’s modern world, with our range of tools and equipment, following the exact handiwork of a fellow furniture maker will never be anything other than inspiring.

To celebrate my 20^th year in business, I decided to make something I’ve always wanted to try – a three-seater Orkney chair. It has been made from a 600-year-old yew from Ayrshire, and the tree even had shrapnel in it which has left some beautiful markings. I put in cord seats and three drawers, each with a natural hole as an opening. Like my double Orkney chair, the three-seater has centre uprights which are shaped to support for the lower back, but also to offer strength.

I’m really delighted with the final result and feel it’s a fitting tribute to the last two decades. As always, every piece created at Orkney Hand Crafted Furniture is a team effort, and this one was extra special as my 15-year-old son, Ryan, helped stitch some of the straw back with me. Here's a photo of the team that made it (even though it's a fairly big piece of furniture, there wasn't quite enough room for Ryan!)

Pictured from left to right, Paul Stephenson, Darren Hourston, Fraser Anderson, and Ryan Anderson.

So, from a single Orkney chair to a three-seater, an empty workshop with imported timber to a workshop jammed full of Orcadian driftwood and straw, and solo working to a full family effort, it’s safe to say things have changed a lot with my business.

I couldn’t have done it without my wife, Becky, who has looked after the admin side of things so smoothly for me since day one. I’ve had so much support from my family too, especially my mum and my late dad, who always helped and encouraged me.

Over the last few weeks, a lot of folk have asked me if, when I started, I thought I would still be creating and crafting furniture twenty years later. It’s an easy one to answer.

I always say ‘definitely’, because it’s all I’ve ever wanted to do.