This project began with an existing chest of drawers that was solid and well made, but offered the opportunity to create something altogether more distinctive.
Rather than replacing the entire piece, we retained the original carcass and drawers and completely reworked its appearance. New drawer fronts and a substantial top were handcrafted from reclaimed Iroko, originally used as laboratory worktops in a local school.
Years of use had left the timber with an incredible surface — rich in colour and covered with scratches, marks, handwritten notes and traces of its previous life. We carefully prepared and refinished the Iroko while deliberately preserving this character rather than sanding away its history.
To give the piece a cleaner, more contemporary feel, we designed simple cut-away handles which were individually routed into each of the new drawer fronts before being fitted to the original drawers.
The result is a complete transformation of the original piece. Its existing structure has been given a new purpose and identity, while the reclaimed Iroko brings warmth, texture and a history that could never be replicated with new timber.