Andy Oldham

Andy only became serious about woodwork about eight years ago, after retiring. He enjoys taking on projects he believes are beyond his skill level, as a way to learn and for a challenge.

For this project, the brief was to build a pair bedside tables that would complement existing rosewood furniture.  The tables must have a single drawer, a shelf and a hidden space for USB chargers and a dimmer/light switch.

Andy’s first design influence was Damien Wright’s Ned Table. (Australian Wood Review, AWR 2018) This inspired an initial plan for a long aspect ratio table with a floating design.  However, the finished pieces evolved away from this design. During the design process, Andy used Fusion 360 and the Concepts app on an iPad as well as a traditional sketch book/pencil to develop the design. Fusion 360 is a powerful design tool in which 3D models are built and may altered to allow modifications to be easily tested without building physical models. In this case, Andy was able to trial various aspect ratios for the carcass, the curve of the table front, the leg thickness and tapers as well as the visual balance for the position and size of the shelf.

After several design revisions, Andy began building a design with curved front, legs attached to the side of the carcass and a woven-slat shelf inspired by designs by Henrik Tjaerby which was published in AWR, June 2020.  

A number of prototype legs were made and rejected.  Instead, simple tapered square legs at each corner with the front legs blended into the curve of the tables were made. The woven shelf, although used on another larger project, proved too fragile when reduced to this small scale, so this was also rejected in favour of more traditional (and less dust-collecting!) slates.

To enhance the drawer fronts, a number of pattern profiles were trialed, ranging from wave patterns to Naguri dimples to random gouge channels using a variety of gouge sizes.

The cross-grain gouges were selected across the height of the drawer as this allowed the inside and the outside of the curved drawer front to be easily carved to match the curve of the mitred carcass.

The intention was to leave the drawer front with a hand-carved rather than machined finish.  

The final design element was the draw pull, which was inlayed into the draw front and hand carved to produce a pleasing feel and look.  The inspiration for this was from a design by Shigeki Matsuoka at Koma furniture in Tokyo.

Housekeeping

Before the break our President, Mike Hatfield presented Ian Houghton with the Gordon Ward Award chain of office.

Workshops for 2026 were also announced, Embellishment in Dwellingup, March 27-29 and Chair Design, Jig Making, Mastering your Bandsaw and Design & Development with Michael Fortune in Perth, July 6 – 19. It is set to be a very exciting year!

Ian Houghton – “Deni’s Jewellery Cabinet”

Ian Houghton presented Deni’s Jewellery Cabinet, his First Prize–winning piece at Out of the Woods 2025. The cabinet was commissioned by a long-standing client, and Ian admitted that the project pushed him beyond his comfort zone, as he had not created such an intricate and detailed box for some time.

The Brief and Design Process

The client requested an Art Deco–style jewellery cabinet to house his wife’s collection. A key requirement was the inclusion of Ian’s signature starburst pattern. Ian began with preliminary sketches before progressing to a full-sized cardboard model. He refined the design through several adjustments until the client was completely satisfied.

Timber Selection and Starburst Design

For the starburst feature, Ian selected graduating shades of walnut, a timber closely associated with the Art Deco period. As the final colour of timber is only revealed once finish is applied, he prepared numerous test samples to determine the most suitable tones. These samples were cut into wedges to establish the correct graduation sequence. Ultimately, Ian used a combination of English Walnut and Queensland Walnut veneers, as American Walnut did not provide the desired colour. Rock Maple and Elm Burl were incorporated to complement the walnut and enhance contrast.

Construction and Cabinet Structure

The cabinet was constructed from veneered MDF to ensure long-term stability. Ian began by building the central drawer unit. The interior was veneered in Rock Maple, with solid Rock Maple supports glued into trenches to form durable drawer runners. Solid timber was also inserted at hinge locations to provide superior long-term support.

To achieve crisp, seamless edges, the cabinet was fully assembled before the exterior veneering was applied. Drawer depths were carefully tailored to the client’s jewellery collection, graduating from a deep bottom drawer to a very shallow top drawer designed specifically to accommodate a choker necklace.

A false drawer front allowed a mitred edge to sit flush with the cabinet front, ensuring the continuous flow of the starburst pattern around the corners. Inside, the drawers were fitted with dividers, trays, and ring storage compartments, then lined with pale pink velvet.

Interior Lining and Detailing

Achieving a professional velvet lining required considerable experimentation. With assistance from Jacqui Smith, Ian developed a successful method: the velvet was backed with an iron-on stabiliser for rigidity and laid over thin wadding for softness. To conserve natural veneer, reconstituted veneer was used inside the drawers behind the lining.

A pre-finished solid Rock Maple trim was installed to conceal the top edge of the lining without risking damage from finishing products. Rock Maple runners were fitted beneath the drawers to improve function and durability. The drawer handles, crafted from turned ebony (thanks to Kevin), were finished with diamante embellishments.

Side Compartments and Hardware

For necklace and earring storage, Ian designed two sets of side-opening doors attached to the central drawer unit. These stepped down and back in a classic Art Deco form. Black acrylic panels with laser-cut holes were used to hold earrings, while turned ebony knobs supported necklaces. An angled, lined panel prevented necklaces from tangling.

The doors were fitted using Brusso self-stopping hinges. Although costly at approximately $100 per pair, Ian noted their precision machining and inclusion of both brass screws and a steel screw set for pre-tapping holes. The self-stopping mechanism prevents the doors from striking adjacent walls. To ensure accurate installation, Ian constructed a jig and practised on scrap timber before marking hinge positions with tape and a knife to avoid costly mistakes. Rare earth magnets were installed to keep the doors securely closed.

Finishing

The cabinet was finished with a satin wipe-on polyurethane. The finish was applied and then wiped back to minimise dust contamination and achieve a refined, even surface.