Made by Hand. Made to Last.
Every box that leaves the Arbour Designs workshop has been made with care and attention to detail. Whether it's using modern machines or the more traditional techniques, I am always happy to spend whatever time it takes to get it right.
- Mark Frith (owner and craftsman)
The Story Behind the Workshop
Arbour Designs began the way most honest things do — quietly, in a garage in Newcastle, with a few hand tools and a stubborn belief that things worth having are worth making properly.
Each piece is designed and built from scratch... No production runs. No shortcuts. Just carefully selected timbers and the kind of unhurried attention that mass manufacturing can't replicate
The boxes are built to be used — to hold the things that matter, to sit on a desk or a dressing table for decades, and eventually to be passed on.
How Each Piece is Made
The Inspiration
I think about a project for ages — letting the concept and plan crystallise in my head before a single piece of timber is touched.
Choosing the Timber
As easy as it might sound, choosing the timber combinations is one of the hardest tasks for me. You have to get it right. The difficulty is that "right" is a thing of personal taste. The hope is, of course, that others like the choices.
Cutting & Joinery
Timber can be a fickle beast. My aim has always been to get it right. Modern machines and traditional techniques march side by side, so that no compromises are ever made.
Fitting & Finishing
Hardware is fitted by hand. Surfaces are sanded through a progressive series of grits and finished with great care.
The Box Interior
A box has two sides — an inside and an outside. To me both are equally important. I try to imagine how the box will be used and build out the inside to suit. The texture and colour of lining materials are also given great consideration.
Final Inspection
Every box is checked before it leaves the workshop. Lids must close flush, hinges must sit true, and the finish must be even throughout.
"Built to be used, kept and eventually passed on."
Based in Newcastle, NSW
The workshop is in Newcastle, New South Wales (Australia). Commissions, custom orders and enquiries are welcome. Reach out through the contact page to start a conversation.
Interested in a Piece?
Browse the current collection or get in touch about a custom commission.