Stuart McKinven Furniture

Stuart McKinven Furniture Maker and Designer

Welcome to the website of Stuart McKinven, a master craftsman based in Jedburgh, Scottish Borders, specialising in the design and creation of bespoke furniture. With a wealth of experience in the industry, Stuart has produced high-quality furniture for clients throughout the UK, crafting pieces that are both functional and beautiful, tailored to meet each client's unique specifications.

Stuart's portfolio spans a wide range of commissions for businesses, homes, and outdoors, with the majority of his work using sustainably sourced hardwood grown in Scotland. From the initial idea to the final design, each piece is developed in collaboration with the client, ensuring a final product that truly embodies the client's vision.

Bespoke Furniture Design and Manufacture

At Stuart McKinven Furniture, the process of designing and creating bespoke furniture is a collaborative effort between the client and the maker. Each piece is carefully crafted by hand, using traditional techniques and the finest materials to create a finished product that is both durable and beautiful. The result is an amalgamation of the client's ideas and the expertise of the maker, resulting in a piece of furniture that is truly unique and tailored to fit the client's space perfectly.

Why Choose Bespoke Furniture?

There are several advantages to choosing bespoke furniture over mass-produced pieces. These include:

• Unique Design: Each piece of bespoke furniture is designed and created specifically for the client, ensuring a truly unique product that is unlike anything else.
• Choice of Wood: With bespoke furniture, clients have the freedom to choose the type of wood used in the construction of their piece.
• Dimensioned to Suit the Physical Space: Bespoke furniture is designed and created to fit the specific dimensions of the client's space, ensuring a perfect fit.
• Enhanced Client Ownership: With bespoke furniture, clients have a hand in the design process, resulting in a piece of furniture that truly reflects their personal style and tastes.

About Stuart McKinven

Stuart McKinven is a skilled furniture maker and designer with a passion for traditional skills and a keen eye for contemporary design. He honed his craft at Glasgow College of Building and Printing, where he earned an HND in furniture Design and Manufacture. After graduation, Stuart helped form the Woodschool furniture collective in the Scottish Borders, where he was involved in product development, design, and manufacture. In 2002, he established his own business designing and making bespoke furniture to commission.

Stuart's approach to making combines an appreciation of traditional skills and respect for materials with a more contemporary design attitude and a passion for working in wood. He takes inspiration from natural forms and materials to create high-quality furniture that meets the vision of the client.

Awards and Recognition

Stuart's work has been recognised with several awards, including the John Logie Baird Innovation Award 2002 and Live Wire Regional Finalist 2002, as well as the Bank of Scotland Small Business Award 2003.

In addition to commissions for private individuals, Stuart has carried out work for various public and commercial clients such as St Mary's Cathedral Glasgow, St Columba's Church Langholm, Craigmillar Park Church Edinburgh, Forestry Commission Scotland, Scottish Power, Marie Curie Centre Glasgow, Famous Grouse Whisky, Loch Lomond and Trossachs National Park, and Sanctuary, Dumfries and Galloway Royal Infirmary.

The Commissioning Process

Commissioning a piece of furniture has distinct advantages, including a unique design that incorporates the client's ideas, a better fit for the intended purpose, a choice of materials and design variations, and a design that can be tuned to suit the client's budget.

The commissioning process begins with a detailed discussion between the client and the maker to establish the requirements. While face-to-face discussions are ideal, Stuart has successfully manufactured many pieces where the design brief has been developed through telephone, email, and post. Once the initial brief is complete, drawings and/or a model will be produced and once approved by the client, the manufacturing process can commence.

To discuss your furniture design or manufacture requirements, please contact Stuart McKinven Furniture on 07986 055907 or use our contact form to provide details of your enquiry.