near Exeter Archives - Marc's Wood Bespoke Joinery

Autumn news from Marc & Rachel in Somerset: handmade mirrors, picture frames & cabinets.

17th November 2020 By Marc Wood

Hello from Somerset!

We hope that you are keeping safe and well under the current C19 restrictions and that you have not been too badly affected by the closures.

Here in the Southwest we feel fortunate that the November lock down in England has been very different from earlier in the year; all of our local suppliers remain open and we can continue to make our mirrors, picture frames and cabinets.

We can still get ‘take out’ hot chocolate at the beach and our 10 year old son is back in school with his friends.

What next for our high street shop space?

The Ilminster Emporium has been closed since Bonfire Night along with the other ‘non essential’ shops in our little town, which is difficult as we approach the usual time for Christmas shopping.

We traders all pulled together to set up a successful Click & Collect service and you can still buy a small range of our handmade mirrors, picture frames and cabinets from the shop.

As the news was coming in about the new English lock down and after working so hard to build up the momentum lost in March, we all wanted to keep the Emporium going, even if we couldn’t open as normal.

We set up a new Instagram page and pledged to collectively promote every traders items as often as we could on our social pages.

We also have an evolving window display to entice our lovely local customers to keep shopping with us.

So far the results have been really good and we are very thankful for everyone who has continued to support our little shop.

You can contact us via the Emporium Facebook page to reserve any items.

10% discount off our Etsy shop prices

As seen on our website, we are happy to offer this discount for all direct sales (not delivery costs) via PayPal or BACS, email us for more information.

Autumn in the workshop

As the weather turns colder we have stopped using the extra outdoor space which we hired to help social distancing in our workshop.

We are carefully balancing the staffing hours to continue to keep the team safe and unfortunately that means that our extra long lead times have not yet returned to their pre pandemic low of 2 – 3 weeks.

Our farmhouse workshop may be chillier in the Autumn months, but it can also be very beautiful with a frosty morning sparkle or an eerie mist in the afternoon and we have taken some really atmospheric photos over the years.

You can find more workshop pictures on our Instagram pages.

5 star Reviews

We are now into double figures with our reviews on Google and it is really helping our little business to stand out on the web, we want to say a HUGE thanks to all who have taken the time to leave us a comment or two.

Our lovely new customer Susan gave us 5 stars on the 9^th November and left a review of the extra wide frame wooden mirror which we recently made for her.

“ My mirror is beautiful, very well made and stunning in its simplicity! ”

If you have the time to support us by leaving a review, please visit our Google My Business Page.

Here is our latest 5 star review on our Etsy.com shop

Rachel was very happy with her custom made ‘dovetail’ mirror with water resistant Danish Oil finish and she left us this great review on 3rd November 2020

“Marc came back to me so quickly with a quote on a bespoke mirror. It fits our bathroom perfectly and looks lovely ”

Contact us before 23^rd November for a pre Christmas delivery

Our cabinets and larger pieces remain at 6 weeks (down from 8) but we are able to accommodate pre Christmas deliveries for most of our mirrors and for all of our picture frames if purchased by Monday 23^rd November.

Marc and our team are all working very hard and we and hope to be able to extend this offer with a special limited number of mirrors and picture frames, available for delivery right up until Christmas week, please watch our social pages for updates.

The best Christmas gift (with a waggy tail!)

Every November we have a little family to remember when our crazy Jack Russell ‘Marv’ came to live with us, 4 years ago.
We are so pleased that we made the decision to collect our bouncy puppy a few weeks before Christmas to give us all time to settle in before the chaos of wrapping paper and shiny decorations added to the daily disarray of lost squeaky toys and a knocked over water bowl.
Marv is still very playful and his water bowl sometimes gets knocked over still, but we all love him.

Your photographs

Our kind customers have kept us going these past few months, closing completely in March was very upsetting and like many others we honestly did not know if we would have a business to come back to.
Your understanding of our extra long lead times has been much appreciated and we are always very interested to see the photos that you send us of your handmade pieces in their new home.
This month we have Hesta’s two large picture frames and Debby’s mirrored bathroom wall cabinet to show off and we think they look great.

For more customer photos see our Pinterest pages.

We will be back with another update next month.

If you have any questions or if there is anything which we can create for your home, just ask.

Best Wishes,
Marc & Rachel Wood

Our latest handmade furniture &’Lock Down’ life in Somerset.

30th April 2020 By Marc Wood

We hope that you are staying safe and well during this health emergency, our online shop is closed and we have put the team on furlough, Marc is single manning the furniture workshop and we are taking on a low volume of orders (lead times have increased by 1 – 2 weeks)

Although we are very grateful for all of the support from the local council, NHS and essential workers helping us through, it has taken quite a bit of adjustment and stress here in the Wood household, as we know that it has for many of us.

We are enjoying spending family time on our daily walks through the Somerset countryside, which is on our doorstep (see our Instagram for more pics) and we can amuse ourselves with classic board-games from the loft, plus the boys got home haircuts last week!

We were very excited to launch our new shop space in the Ilminster Emporium at the end of March, we held a party in the shop with local small businesses and our friends and family, the Mayor even helped out by cutting the ribbon, marking the official opening!

After several great weeks in this very lovely iconic building in the old town centre we all made the decision to close up our shop just before the ‘lock-down’ went into effect across the UK.

Although it was sad to say goodbye to all the other lovely Emporium traders and our new friends on the committee, we all felt that it was irresponsible to encourage visitors into the town as the virus took hold across the country.

We will all be back with great new displays as soon as we can and we hope that you will be able to visit the Emporium on Silver Street on your next visit to South Somerset.

In the days before we made the decision to close the workshop we also completed our latest handmade pieces. A chunky modern rustic sideboard (seen here in it’s new home!) and our new design of ‘tall boy’ chest of drawers, which is pictured in our studio and is now in Scotland thanks to our dedicated specialist courier Barry Whitcher, who is still working hard ensuring that items get from A to B across the country.

Both of these pieces of furniture make use of our classic ‘cut out’ handle and we will be featuring the ‘tall boy’ and lots of other new handmade items in our online shop once we are open again.

This April we reached the milestone of 100 subscribers to our YouTube channel and we will be adding more videos in the coming weeks, find us under Marc Wood Joinery.

Woodworking tips & tricks:

This month we have an ingenious tip for smooth sanding around a curve.

It can be challenging to sand a curve and you often need your piece of sanding paper to be solid yet supple enough to carefully remove surface layers whilst fitting into the required shape.

Cover a flexible A5 notepad with sandpaper of the necessary grade for your needs and curve the notepad to fit into the curve of your wood then you have a very useful and study sanding pad.

If you place an edge of the sanding paper into the notebook, the pages will secure it as you apply pressure. Find out more about woodworking technique on this great easy to read blog.

We will be back with another update next month and if there is anything which we can create for your home, just ask.

Best Wishes,
Marc & Rachel Wood

Kitchen island with solid granite worktop, handmade in Somerset

29th November 2019 By Marc Wood

Made in Somerset from natural wood and solid granite; custom sizes and colours available

Our sturdy yet elegant kitchen storage island is made from sustainable natural wood (Redwood or Larch) and features a chunky solid granite worktop.

This particular kitchen island trolley measures approx. 89 cm high X 91.5 cm wide and 43 cm deep.

We are happy to use a different paint or a wood toned Danish Oil if you would prefer an alternative finish to perfectly suit both your space and your personal style.

Contact Marc and Rachel to discuss your wooden kitchen storage design, this kitchen island design is approx £698.50 (subject to granite prices at time of purchase) and is not currently available in our Etsy.com shop.

Additional Storage For Your Kitchen

Our kitchen island trolley has been designed by Marc to provide effective and adaptable additional storage.

A solid granite worktop sourced from an established local supplier, this granite is a hardwearing food preparation surface and is easy to keep clean.
Easily portable with castor wheels, allowing you to move your additional storage to the best location in your kitchen, as your needs change and brakes to securely lock in place.
A solid lower shelf, suitable for cooking equipment, pans, ceramics and crockery.
A slatted middle shelf, suitable for food storage as healthy air flow helps keep food fresh for longer.
A matching set of 2 traditionally made drawers, deep enough for cuttlery, tea towels or kitchen utensils.
Finished in a wipe clean matt paint (your choice of colour) and with slim chrome handles and pull bar/ towel rail (or your choice of alternative)

Contact Marc & Rachel Wood For More Information On Our Kitchen Storage Options

Contact Marc and Rachel to commission your kitchen island trolley; call us in Somerset on 01460 241372 or email marcswood@hotmail.co.uk

We can visit Bristol, Bath, Devon, Dorset and Wiltshire areas for a site visit and we can arrange door to door delivery, contact us with your postcode for details.

Kitchen Storage Collection in Natural Wood

Our shelves with coat hanger hooks (as seen above) are a stylish way to tidy utensils, aprons & tea towels or display your favourite crockery and go-to cookery books along the top.

View our handcrafted kitchen furniture and storage collection online.

Our kitchen cabinets, shelves and larder cupboards are all designed by Marc and handmade to order by Marc and our team of 6 local makers.

We use traditional techniques and work with sustainable, natural wood, find out more about our inspiration and process HERE.

Our bathroom cabinets are custom handmade in Somerset from solid, natural wood.

12th June 2019 By Marc Wood

Rustic Industrial Style Bathroom Cabinets, Mirrors & Storage.

As seen above and right; our handmade bathroom cabinet with double mirror doors measures 65 cm height X 60 cm width and 14 cm deep.

Handcrafted In Somerset From Natural, Sustainable Wood

Our handmade bathroom cabinet and furniture range has been designed by Marc Wood to provide maximum storage and feature our signature ‘dovetail joint’.

You can find cabinets, sink stands, shelving and wall mirrors in a variety of sizes on our Bathroom page.

Each is handmade by Marc and our team of 6 local makers and we are always happy to create something bespoke for you.

Single Door Bathroom Cabinets

Cabinets A and B, above and left.

A) Our handmade slim bathroom mirror cabinet measures 50 cm height X 30 cm width and 14 cm deep.

B) Our handmade slim bathroom cabinet measures 50 cm height X 30 cm width and 14 cm deep.

C) Right: Our handmade large bathroom mirror cabinet measures 56 cm height X 54 cm width and 18 cm deep.

Double Door Bathroom Cabinets

D) Above: 56 cm high X 70 cm wide X 18 cm deep.

E) Left: 40 cm high X 60 cm wide X 14 cm deep.

F) 56 cm high X 70 cm wide X 18 cm deep, in light and dark Danish Oil.

More Styles Available In Our Shop

Choose Your Style To Perfectly Suit Your Space

Our solid wooden bathroom vanity units and wall cabinets are each handcrafted to order in our Somerset workshop.

This means that you can choose to have single or double mirrored or wooden paneled doors and the number, depth and height of your shelves.

We offer a light or dark Danish Oil finish which is hardwearing and water resistant; perfect for humid bathroom conditions.

Sink And Wash Stands

We can create wall mounted and floor standing sink and wash stands for a pedestal sink or a counter top basin.

Bathroom Wall Mirrors

Our Wall mirrors feature our signature ‘dovetail’ joint and styles include an inbuilt shelf and coat hooks.

As seen above and left: Mirror with shelf measures 76 cm X 52 cm with a 12 cm shelf depth (16 cm from the wall) and a frame width of 7 cm.

Right: Large mirror with shelf features upcycled wooden coat hanger hooks.

Below: With chunky iron hooks.

Bathroom Shelving

Contact Marc & Rachel For Bespoke Options

We are always happy to create something bespoke for you.

Email us: marcswood@hotmail.co.uk

Or call us in Somerset: 01460 53377 for details.

Bathroom cabinets & mirrors, designed & custom handmade from natural sustainable wood in Somerset UK

23rd February 2018 By Marc Wood

Find out more about the inspiration and craftsmanship of our high quality, traditionally handmade bathroom cabinets.

All of our bathroom cabinets and bathroom storage pieces are designed by Marc and handcrafted from eco friendly solid wood by our talented small team in our rural Somerset workshop.

Our large double mirror door wall cabinet measures 70 cm height X 80 cm width and 16.5 cm deep overall size.

The slim style is perfect for those bathrooms with lots of wall space but limited room to move about.

Our quirky farmhouse bathroom shelf with 4 upcycled coat hanger hooks pictured right is designed to hold your bath towels, wash bags and nightwear.

These handmade bathroom cabinets are available to order now, with our current waiting list we will need two weeks for completion and delivery via 24 hour courier.

We are also happy to design and create something for you with custom dimensions; all of our eco friendly furniture, mirrors and picture frames are designed by Marc and handmade to order by Marc and the team in our Somerset workshop.

Our larger single mirror door bathroom wall cabinet pictured above is our most popular. This cabinet has 3 shelves and measures 56 cm height X 54 cm width and 18 cm deep overall size.

At Marc Wood Joinery we are happy to create bespoke pieces to fit even the most awkward spaces in your home; we spend time designing and then refining our sketches to suit your personal style.

We also create wooden framed mirrors and wall mounted and floor standing bathroom cabinets, towel cupboards and sink stands with wooden panelled doors; see a selection here.