Hello and Happy New Year.

Welcome to the January 2026 newsletter.

My wife, daughter, and I had a quiet Christmas and stayed close to home over the holidays. We spent a lot of time in the garden and managed to tick off lots of little jobs on the to-do list. You know those to-do lists that sit on the fridge and you think to yourself “I’ll get to that”.

Happy to report I’m about half way through the book I mentioned in the December newsletter and am really enjoying it.

 

 

The Chess Board:

My daughter Liliana and I got to make our Chess Board over the holiday and it is lovely to think that it will be a family heirloom to pass on to future generations.

There is a back story behind the two types of timber we chose to use. I’d held on to those small pieces of timber for years with the aim to make something special, so it was good to finally use them.

The reclaimed Huon Pine timber (our daughter Liliana’s favourite timber) was purchased in Strahan when my wife was pregnant with Liliana twenty four years ago. The Rosewood is reclaimed and from the Northern Rivers area of New South Wales, where our daughter Liliana was born. For Liliana to help me make the Chess Board and still do projects together means a lot.

* A note about the Chess pieces – they are replicas of the The Lewis Chess Pieces. 

“This group of eleven medieval chess pieces were part of a large hoard buried on the Isle of Lewis, Scotland. The hoard contained 93 gaming pieces in total, including from at least four chess sets as well as other games. The chess pieces were probably made in the late 12th or early 13th century in Norway.”  – National Museums Scotland. I’ve included the link if it is of interest. https://www.nms.ac.uk/discover-catalogue/the-story-of-the-lewis-chess-pieces

A couple of years ago Liliana gave me the book about The Lewis Chess Pieces, then last Christmas gave me these Chess Pieces, so it feels full circle to make the Chess Board together. 

 

 

General House Keeping:

At the moment, I have some availability for February/March. Be in touch as early as possible to avoid your project being delayed.

Please always leave a voicemail, message or text. If you don’t leave a voicemail, message, or text, I treat the missed call as a pocket dial or spam.

Thanks for reading and following.

There are over sixty work related blog posts that have been created to help you make informed decisions about renovating and working with me. My aim is for the blog posts to be full of information for you and a short read.

Always reach out if you have a question – no question is a wrong question.

Until next time,

Michael

 

Photos: For the curious gardeners: A close up of the lilliums growing next to the Hothouse – the name tag is long gone. I just checked and the bulb supplier no longer lists these lilliums in their catalogue.

 

My work ranges from the smallest bespoke carpentry project right through to full home renovations.
I’m really happy to work to your designs, together with my 30 + years of carpentry knowledge and experience.

Here is the full list of my carpentry expertise:

Custom-made kitchens.
Free-standing kitchen dressers, buffets and hutches.
Free-standing and fitted pantry cupboards.
Bathroom vanities.
Laundry and Mudroom shelving, bench tops, cupboards and cabinetry.
Bedroom fitted and free-standing cabinetry and wardrobes.
Home office and studio free-standing and fitted cupboards, bench tops, desks, storage.
Bookshelves. Home Libraries.
Furniture including daybeds, window seats, tv cabinetry.
Tables and table top replacement.
Timber floorboard installation.
Architraves, skirting and picture rails.
Dado panelling, wall panelling, shiplap installation.
Timber windows.
Timber doors, french doors, hardwood and glazed.
Timber screen doors.
Timber fencing. Picket fencing.
Outdoor furniture. Tables, garden seating.
Timber gates and garden features.
Henhouses, wood storage, and potting sheds.

Well that’s quite the list but covers everything!

Quotes, Delivery, and Install throughout the

Huon Valley, Kingsborough, D’Entrecasteaux Channel Areas.

For Tasmanians living outside of these areas, due to client demand bespoke kitchens, double or single glazed doors and windows, screen doors, furniture, cabinetry, bathroom vanities, and gates can now be collected from the Huon Valley.