This is how one of our clients described our approach to the work we do:
“Building with Heart and Integrity”
We are a female led not-for-profit Carpentry and Joinery Company and we really put our heart into any project we take on and give it everything. We know how to communicate clearly with you about your needs and requirements, so that problems can be avoided and you are in control of your project from start to finish.
We pride ourselves in doing complete work to a very high standard to a budget you are happy with.
Here are a few projects we have done:
Studio Cabin
The aim of this project was to build a cabin that could provide an extra outside room, feel spacious inside, used environmentally friendly materials and was well insulated. We also dismantled the old cabin that was already there, reused as much timber from it as possible in the new cabin and built a 3-bay garden compost bin with the rest. We used eco-friendly internal and external wood fibre insulation, which minimises cold-bridging, making the cabin very well insulated. The doors and windows are aluminium framed, which is the most durable option for the Devon weather! Externally the cabin has larch shiplap cladding, painted charcoal black with external Osmo wax-oil. The internal floor is made from reclaimed pine timber boards, oiled with interior Osmo white.
Holiday Cabin
This beautiful cabin needed some restoration work being done. It was originally built in the 1940’s and hadn’t seen much updating since the 1970’s. So we set to work and took down the rotten part and repaired the saveable bits. The client wanted the outside to be as maintenance free as possible, so we removed all of the old cladding and replaced it with larch shiplap cladding. The structure is now stable and sound, with a beautiful new kitchen, bedroom and bathroom and has been given a whole new lease of life for decades to come!
Energy efficient traditional Timber Framed House
Yes – we built this house from scratch. We started with digging out the site to lay the foundations and worked up from there! We had to overcome numerous difficulties with this build, one of them attaching to a granite rubble party wall with the neighbouring house. Another was to incorporate the (probably) biggest cantilever in Devon! We also wanted to make it as energy efficient as possible, so we built an air tight design with an MVHR (Mechanical Ventilation and Heat Recovery ) unit inside the house for amazing air quality without the heat loss. So this house is where traditional meets the modern, with super comfortable living, high energy efficiency and pretty low bills!
Staircases
We like building staircases! We can fit CNC machined stairs or create bespoke staircases. For example, alternate tread staircases are a solution for confined spaces where a conventional set of stairs won’t fit. The treads are paddle shaped and alternate, therefore increasing the angle of the staircase to above the usual maximum of 42 degrees.
Fitted Cupboards and Shelving
Extra storage space? We can do a range of different types of fitted cupboards ranging from using birch faced ply to a combination of hardwoods and ply or MDF. The fitted cupboards and shelving were all designed to deal with very specific requirements from the clients and to create maximum storage space in otherwise hard to use corners of rooms.
Bespoke Joinery and Furniture
Whether it’s an oak double gate, a kitchen island or a Campaign Furniture Style Drinks Carrier, we can design and make it. We will work on the design process together with you to create the best solution for the brief you give us!
We’re good at waney and non square!
We’re good at all things that are waney and non square. We like to show off the natural shapes that the wood has grown in. Whether it’s a bespoke waney edge oak shelf with branch forks as support, an entire oak tree supporting a floor joist or a traditional timber framed porch – we know how to work with material that can’t be bought at the builder’s merchant. We work with the client to create unique pieces. For example, to make the oak shelves we re-used some oak beams the client had previously taken our of her house. I then went hunting for suitable branch forks in the woods and air dried them ready to use.
We always start with a consultation with you about your project. We will work with you to make a clear plan that you are happy with and that will meet your budget.
Whether your project requires to be hand drawn or designed using CAD, we can provide you with whichever approach will work best for your ideas.
A shout-out in praise of Astrid Arnold who is doing (huge) repairs to our cabin-in-a-field alongside her apprentice Rowena and husband Hugh. And, I tell you, she is top notch. Expert, grafter, great communicator, completely trustworthy and all round the best. I feel really lucky to have been able to have Astrid at the helm. Also, if you have the chance to do a course with her in Devon, go for it.
Grace Emmerson, Bristol
After hearing about Astrid’s work as a carpenter, especially teaching women carpentry and other DIY skills, I commissioned her to design a driveway gate which would look “a bit out of the ordinary”. The result was extraordinary, and passers-by have repeatedly commented on its beauty and uniqueness – truly a piece of art. I then asked her to replace a door to our barn. Although she didn’t build the door herself, she did a fantastic job in re-fitting it, renewing the surrounding frame, the floor inside, and generally creating a wonderful fitting door. I’m just waiting for another opportunity to invite Astrid to let her creativity flow on another project. She enjoys working collaboratively, is wide open to ideas and suggestions, and is thoroughly competent in what she obviously enjoys: working with wood. I couldn’t recommend her highly enough.
Roger Ash Wheeler, Chagford, Dartmoor
Thank you so much for your recent work at my house. The doors look lovely. I have since had some great comments from family and friends about them and your work.
Ruth Watkins, South Brent
I enjoy following you on FB and am so proud of what you do and how your work centres on empowering women and kids with fantastic skills and confidence.
The Touchwood team work with an excellent and highly considerate ethic. Their work is beautiful, meticulous and of very high quality. The team works together quietly an harmoniously, they treat the environment around their work with care and consideration. I highly recommend their work and feel fortunate to have found my way to them.
Hilary Kneale, Dartmoor
