If you’ve looked through Stories In Wood, you’ve probably picked up on something — nothing here feels mass-produced. That’s intentional. Every piece starts as an idea I actually care about, not just something to fill a product page.

I’ve always enjoyed making things. Not in a perfect, polished workshop kind of way — more in the hands-on, figure-it-out-as-you-go way. Taking a raw bit of timber and turning it into something useful is still just as satisfying now as it was when I started.

Most of my designs don’t come from some big plan. It’s usually just a thought like, “this could be better,” or “why doesn’t this exist in a nicer way?”

Something like a guitar stand is a good example. Most of what’s out there does the job, but doesn’t really look like it belongs in your space. That’s where I get interested — taking something practical and making it feel considered.

I spend a lot of time here. Probably more than I should.

It’s not just about how something looks — it’s how it sits, how stable it is, how it feels to use. There’s a lot of trial and error involved. Some ideas just don’t work. Others turn into something better than expected.

I’m always learning too. Even something as simple as improving stability can take a bit of thought. There’s a good breakdown here on making a stable guitar stand that shows how much detail actually goes into getting it right — and that’s the kind of stuff I enjoy working through.

Once the design’s sorted, that’s when it really comes to life.

Building something by hand always changes your perspective. You notice small details you wouldn’t pick up otherwise — tiny improvements, better ways of doing things, things you’d do differently next time.

Timber keeps it interesting too. Every piece is different. Grain, colour, density — you can’t treat it like a uniform material, and that’s part of the appeal.

A lot of what I care about isn’t immediately obvious.

It’s the way edges feel, how clean everything fits together, how solid something feels when you use it. Those are the things that make a product feel right over time.

It’s easy to rush that stuff — but that’s not really the point for me.

At the end of the day, I’m not just trying to sell products. I like knowing something I’ve made ends up in someone’s home and actually gets used.

That’s the whole goal — to make things that aren’t just functional, but actually enjoyable to have around.

I don’t think this is something you ever fully “master.”

Every product teaches you something. Every design can be improved. And that’s what keeps it interesting — there’s always something to refine.