"We have known Chris Flatt for over two years. He first came to our home, a two hundred year old, thatched cottage made of clay lump with not a single straight wall/ceiling/ door frame or floor, to carry out repairs to the fascia boards at the back of the house. He was polite and enthusiastic with a strong work ethic. He evidently took great pride and pleasure in his work. We asked him to carry out further works including fitting an old oak door to an outbuilding and booked him to return and fit skirting boards as individual rooms were decorated. Since then, we have commissioned him to remove the spindles;newel posts;strings and handrails from a rickety pine winder staircase and replace them with solid oak. This entailed incorporating a newel post into an existing understairs cupboard and panelling and fitting the upper balustrade support so that it appears to be embedded into the wall. He has designed, made and fitted two solid wood internal bi-folding doors, one with double glass lights which have drawn several complimentary comments from visitors to our home. Emboldened by his creative flair, we asked him to design and build fitted wardrobes for the master bedroom. His brief was to create furniture that had the space and functionality of modern fitted units, but that was in a rustic, traditional style with period specific features. The project involved building across a chimney wall which would then obscure original beams. Chris bravely produced a design which placed a reclaimed oak beam across the front of the chimney breast with oak faced units built underneath and following the natural curve of the beam. He used hand forged iron nails and handles, and constructed the doors in the rustic ledge and brace style. He shaped shelves for the centre of the unit using natural oak with just the bark removed from the curved edges. We absolutely delighted with the finished work, which far exceeded our expectations. Everyone who has seen the wardrobes believes the beam to be an original feature which was built into. All have been impressed with the quality of the finish. In the near future, our next project for Chris is the design and build of our kitchen units.
I would happily recommend Chris’s services to anyone for all types of carpentry/joinery work; but feel that he excels particularly in challenging design projects where he works in real wood. He is passionate about his work and pays great attention to the fine detail. He achieves a great deal in a working day, and has consistently shown himself to be dedicated to professional excellence and customer satisfaction. He displays much confidence in overcoming the inherent challenges in working with old buildings, and has always discussed options re: materials/costs with us before agreeing the way forward. Behind his approachable and relaxed nature lies a trustworthy, consummate professional craftsman. "
Deb & Keith
Deb and Keith
Web Developer