A WOOD furniture company has taken root in the Borders with the help of a local business advice service.

With a passion for woodwork, and inspired by timber’s irregularities and imperfections, David Lightly and Ross Purves take pride in handcrafting truly unique pieces of sculptural furniture.

After seeking help from Business Gateway, David and Ross recently launched The Wood Neuk, specialising in the design and making of high quality bespoke chairs, tables, cabinets, chests of drawers and bookshelves.

Ross said: “It’s a labour of love for us both. Between us we have 38 years of experience in furniture design.

“David worked with the late Tim Stead, the renowned sculptor and wood artist, and we have each been influenced by his work.

“After Tim’s death his partner, Maggy, took over the business but when she made the decision to retire we purchased the existing equipment and are currently leasing the premises.

“You could say The Wood Neuk has grown out of that and while Tim’s influences remain we continue to develop new designs.” Ross added: “As humble carpenters with no experience of setting up in business we are very grateful for Business Gateway’s advice and support.

“They have an excellent range of business related workshops and so far we’ve both attended the Business Start-Up, Finance, and Marketing sessions.

“We’re also signed up for the Social Media course which will play an important part in marketing our product.” Both men are active within the Community Woodlands Association so only use wood which has served its purpose, either the tree has blown down or been felled for a good reason. Their furniture is made using premium grade native hardwoods including Elm, Oak and Ash which they source from across Scotland themselves.

David added: “We take pride in being involved in each stage of the process and knowing that the greatest of care has been taken.

“Most designers aim for perfection and we are no different but timber has natural imperfections - knots, splits, or holes and I look for them and repair them so that a piece of wood, which may normally be discarded, is transformed into something beautiful. That’s one of the greatest pleasures of my job.” The company’s customer base is a mixture of established and new clients who come from all over Scotland.

David and Ross have kitted out churches in Aberdeenshire, buildings in the North East of England and properties in Skye and Glasgow.

Some of their designs are on show and for sale in the Art House Gallery in Kelso with a lot of their custom generated by word of mouth.

They are keen to start taking part in exhibitor shows such as Grand Designs Live and the Royal Highland Show and are planning a major week long exhibition next summer.

If you wish to find out more about The Wood Neuk then go to their website at www.thewoodneuk.com, call 01573 410 510, email info@thewoodneuk.com, or visit them at The Steading, Blainslie, Galashiels TD1 2PR.

Find out how Business Gateway can help your business grow and prosper by visiting www.bgateway.com, or call your local office on 01835 825 600.