BESPOKE FURNITURE & HOMEWARES

MONTVILLE, QLD

About Section

Ben Adams carving texture into dovetail stool.jpg

HAND
CRAFTED

CUSTOM FURNITURE

& BESPOKE HOME DECOR

Ben Adams operates a boutique furniture making studio from his workshop in the Sunshine Coast Hinterland, 1.5 hrs from Brisbane. Ben produces custom contemporary timber furniture and functional objects, made by hand, thoughtfully designed and expertly crafted to the highest quality.

ABOUT BEN

UNIQUE
DESIGN

CREATIVE SOLUTIONS FROM SMALL HOME TO GRAND SPACES

Ben has been commissioned to craft custom coffee tables, dining tables, minimalist bedroom furniture, modern dining chairs, bespoke trophies, custom-built shelving, and many more heirloom-quality pieces from his Montville studio. Ben is also commited to designing sustainably to reduce waste and the environmental footprint his workshop creates.

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PAST PROJECTS

corner of a blackbutt timber bed frame with recycled wooden slats on the floor of a carpeted bedroom

Interested in having your own custom piece made by a local craftsman?

Shun the mass-produced and have Ben create the perfect piece, the one you've been dreaming of but simply cannot find in any shop. Click the button below to bring your dream to life.

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ENQUIRE NOW ABOUT YOUR CUSTOM BUILD

MADE
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SHOP HAND-MADE FURNITURE & HOMEWARES

Timeless quality furniture and statement homewares, hand-made in Montville. A small but stylish range for people who value local craftsmanship and find joy in creating a beautiful, functional home.

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BEN ADAMS american oak dovetail bench wide shadow.jpg

FROM OUR
CUSTOMERS

“Ben is truly amazing. Wow what an absolute perfectionist. We are so happy with the kitchen benchtop Ben designed and created for us. It’s an absolute showcase piece. ...I highly recommend Ben with his artisan skills for your next project."

MARK GRAY

"I'm extremely happy with the finished product, which was done to a very high standard and finished beautifully...
We are very happy with our experience and would ask for his help with future projects without hesitation!"

GRACE WAVELL

"Our stools are amazing and we are grateful to Ben for bringing our idea to life in such a magnificent way. Everyday as I perch on the stools with the contoured seat I think Ben's craftsmanship is outstanding..."

MARY CULL

A new take on some table legs. I’ve made smaller versions of this leg with no splay but these are going to be used on a tall display table, meaning the splay gives it a little wider base of support. The legs will be turned round then glued up and all the transitions carved by hand.

Wish me luck!

#joinery #tablesawjig #angledtenon #furnituremaker #customfurniture #handmade #woodworking #woodworker #furnituredesign #slowfurniture #australiantimber

The long awaited sequel to Chairs of Melbourne. Come with me as I explore the Queensland capital city of Brisbane to find the best chairs and rate each chair based on comfort, style, and overall appeal.

So take a seat, sit back and enjoy episode 1 of Chairs of Brisbane! Stay tuned for the next episode.

#chairs #chairmaking #chairmaker #woodworker #furnituremaker #furnituredesign #visitbrisbane #madeinqueensland #customfurniture #slowfurniture #humour #fortheloveofchairs

Some gentle marking knife action for your Thursday afternoon. This knife was given to me by a Japanese blacksmith a few years ago and I’ve treasured it ever since. The key to tight fitting joints is super accurate marking out and having a super sharp accurate knife makes my life so much easier.

#furnituremaker #joinery #woodworking #makingknife #woodworkingtools #edc #customfurniture #furnituredesign #handmade #slowliving #slowfurniture #makermovement

When your teeny table saw fence just won’t do. One of the best investment I made was to buy a couple 4m LVL beams. They stay perfectly straight are the perfect table saw fence extender. This set up makes my very long banana shaped boards so much easier to cut straight.

Does anyone else use this trick or have a better idea?

#furnituremaker #workshoptips #woodworkingtipsandtricks #woodworking #tablesaw #customfurniture #woodworker #diy #shopdog #australiancattledog

Spent a morning with my bestie Bryony who is my go-to product photographer. @dux.till.dawn.photography is her photography business and she is Wizard with a camera! 🧙‍♂️She runs her own business all while raising 3 kids and a boisterous boarder collie!

As a furniture maker, running a business is a hard slog but it makes a huge difference having a network of friends who can help you out and Bryony is one of many who have made my business journey that much more fun 🫶

#furnituremaker #photographer #furnituredesign #customfurniture #handmade #slowfurniture #sunshinecoasthinterland #sunshinecoastsmallbusiness #womeninbusiness #sunshinecoastmums #sunshinecoastphotographer

Dovetail Bench - American Oak with natural oil finish

Designed as a statement piece in an entry way. Place it against a wall and rest while you put your shoes on or enjoy a coffee in a sun room.

Made to order. DM for more info.

#furniture #customfurniture #furnituremaker #australianfurniture #furnituredesign #sunshinecoaststyle #sunshinecoasthomes #homedecor #seating #slowliving #sustainableliving #handmade #chairdesign #interiordesign

This is a PSA - know your stools and what they mean. If you’re lacking something in your life, check your stool, and if none of them look like these examples, you may need to see a professional.

I offer personal consultations to any client who wants to transform their current stool and make it one they can love forever.

Remember, a healthy stool means a healthy life!

#stool #stoolsample #humour #furnituremaker #furnituredesign #seating #interiordesign #homedecor #handmade #timberfurniture

Here’s my temu version tenon sizing tool. I wanted a tool that could consistently and repeatably cut the right diameter of a tenon and also be adjustable. It consists of a couple of scrap pieces of plywood, a washer and a few screws. It holds my parting tool in exactly the right way to cut a 35mm round tenon.

If you like the look of these stools, I have a couple in stock, ready to go! Download my price guide (link in bio) for all the info 🪑

#woodtunting #needatoolmakeatool #handmade #furnituremaker #furnituredesign #diy #workshopideas #woodworker #woodworking #customfurniture #timberfurniture #supportlocal #milkingstool #sunshinecoast #maker #craftsman #handmade #asmr

This video is not sped up! Just kidding. But I am getting faster at assembling these bar stools. That’s what I love about having products that I know work. I know how to make them without having to think through anything or worry if it’s even going to work. I’ve done all the working out and failing and redesigning before. Now the design is tried and true and I can put all my research into practice!

This particular piece is being made for the upcoming Artifest event on 4th May presented by Experience Montville. The micro event at 92 Main st will feature these stools along with other furniture, homewares, leather goods etc and a spoon carving workshop! More info to come 😁

#furniture #handmade #barstool #workshop #woodworker #furnituremaker #customfurniture #furnituredesign #slowfurniture #fastfurniture #woodworking #sunshinecoasthinterland #chairmaking

Let me introduce myself. I’m Ben and I’m an aspiring furniture maker and designer. I started my business back in 2021 at a time when a lot of people were making a career pivot.

I studied Musical Theatre at Australia’s most prestigious performing arts school and had a fruitful career based in Melbourne that took me all over the world performing on stage. I then completed a Masters in Performing Arts and became a company member in a kick ass Brisbane based physical theatre company.

While working in the theatre I was also building sets and props which satiated my passion for using my hands. One thing led to another and after years of accumulating tools and skills through practice and YouTube videos, people started paying me to make things.

Starting a new career path at 30 has its challenges but sometimes it just takes a quarter life crisis for you to commit to something you really love to do.

Now I design and build timber furniture for a living and I’m a small business owner. I’m also an advocate for makers of all kinds and last year hosted the @makersdesignfair so I could showcase the abundance of talented crafts people in my area of the Sunshine Coast.

So If you’re a future customer, a designer/maker or a fellow furniture maker get in touch because I’d love to connect 😄

Here’s how I made the wooden body for my large travisher. I put about 0.5 seconds of thought into this design. I just knew I had to make it fit the tangs and match the radius of the blade, then I’d just shape everything else as needed. I used some scrap blackbutt which is quite dense but I anticipate having to add a brass plate as the wood wears down on the sole.

These tools work staggeringly well when fairing interior curves and make seat carving sooooo satisfying! They’re not much to look at but I love them all the same 🥰

Comment if you know of a way I could improve the design next time.

#travisher #handtools #woodcarving #woodworking #chairmaking #vintagetools #woodworker #furnituremaker #toolmaking #diy #fuenituredesign #productdesign #blacksmithing #forging #customfurniture #handmade #makermovement

Do you ever have one of those days where you wake up and say “F**k it, I’m making a Travisher!” Well yesterday, that’s what I did. A Travisher is a really old woodworking tool that is used for smoothing# concave surfaces like a dish in a chair seat. They are beautiful tools that cost a lot of money and are near impossible to find in Australia unless you know where to look.

I had a day up my sleeve and was fed up with trying to make do, using a spokeshave and a scorp to carve my seats so I tipped over my breakfast table, said YOLO and just started. I was not aiming for perfection. I thought it would take the whole day to just forge and heat treat one blade and then I’d make the wood body another day but after 10 hours I had 2 fully functional tools! They’re not pretty, but dam do they work well!

#toolmaking #handtools #forging #blacksmithing #travisher #woodworking #bladesmithing #furnituremaker #vintagetools #needatoolmakeatool #woodcarving #chairmaking #handmade #diy

This Dovetail bench has been in the pipeline for ages and I finally got time to finish it! This bench is a variation on a design of stool I created for the Wootha prize in 2023 and one of the first pieces of furniture I designed that people actually wanted to buy! It’s still one of my best sellers to date and this particular one was made custom for a very special client (Aunty Judy)

If you want one of these for yourself, you can order one from my website, or just DM me. Alternatively I will have some on display at the Artifest micro event in Montville on May 4th

#furnituremaker #woodworking #woodworker #customfurniture #furnituredesign #handmade #slowfurniture #slowliving #sunshinecoasthinterland

Aluminium Bronze is where it’s at. I’m trying something new for this batch of side tables. In the interests of making my practice more sustainable and self sufficient, I wanted to try making my own brass flat bar instead of buying online. Mixing copper (from an old motor) and aluminium (from beer cans) at a ratio of 9:1 at around 1,200 degrees C, I was able to cast some aluminium bronze bars. They look like brass but have this awesome sand cast texture. Plus, I didn’t have to deal with the nasty Zinc fumes from brass.

Didn’t really turn out to be very sustainable as it took 3 days of work and a whole bottle of gas to cast 7 usable bars 🤣

I’m planning on entering this side table into the 2025 MAKE Award which encourages designers and makers to work outside their comfort zone.

#makermovement #design #australiandesign #furnituredesign #craft #handmade #furnituremaker #sandcasting #bronze #recycled #reclaimed #sustainabledesign #mixedmedia #artisan #makeaward #australiandesigncentre #customfurniture

Ask and you shall receive. Here’s a breakdown on how I made my dowel making table saw sled. I can’t take credit for the idea though. I’ve seen many people make something similar on YouTube. Izzy Swan’s YouTube channel was probably the first time I saw it.

It’s simple to build and saves so much time when repeatably turning square stuff into round stuff to whatever diameter you want. Dust collection is still the main problem, so I might upgrade that the next time I use it.

Comment if you’d like to see plans or if you think it’s way too dangerous and I should be ashamed of myself.

#jig #woodworking #woodworkingideas #woodworker #furnituremaker #tablesawsled #woodturning #diy #handmade #workshopefficiency #customfurniture #workshopsafety #PPE

🔥 I’m working on something special 🔥 my next experiment is going to be incorporating cast bronze into a peice of furniture, and the first step is to harvest some copper! There is a lot of copper in old motors and in the interests on making my practice more sustainable it makes sense to be using recycled materials. Keep an eye out for what I’m going to do next with this copper ingot 😉

Can anyone tell me how much this amount of copper would sell for? 🤔

#casting #copper #sandcasting #smelting #recycling #metalworking #foundry #furnace #furnituredesign #makermovement #diy #handmade #repurposed

A beautiful chopping board made from white oak offcuts. This time, it’s being finished off by my handy workshop helper. These make awesome gifts and they don’t take a whole lot of effort to make.

Recent research has shown that end grain chopping boards are less hygienic than face grain?? Is this a myth? Are you on team face grain, or the end grain train?

#choppingboard #charcuterie #endgrain #butchersblock #diy #woodworking #furnituremaker #woodworker #homedecor #kitchendecor #woodporn #handmade #sustainabledesign #repurposed

My table saw dowel making sled can ALSO make tapers!! With this baby set up I can slam through one leg every 6 minutes!!!! I can easily and repeatably go from square stock to a perfectly symmetrical tapered round leg, and the surface finish is even pretty good. All that’s left to do is turn a tenon on one end and sand smooth. An improvement on this technique might include some better dust extraction 😅

These legs are going to be used on a dovetail bench for a special client.

#handmade #woodworking #woodworkingideas #customfurniture #handmadefurniture #sunshinecoastfurniture #furnituremaker #woodworker #woodturning #tablesaw #jig #furnituredesign #slowfurniture #sunshinecoasthinterland

And that’s a wrap on the kitchen! 15 months in the making and the kitchen is finally finished! This kitchen was a part of a full house renno that a good friend started on their charming little Queenslander house. The whole house was completely transformed into a stunning space and I’m so glad I could be a part of it by making the kitchen. Design and styling by @kelseyhutchinsonn professional shots to come.

Big thanks to Britton timbers to supplying the white oak, and Coastline Distributors for the Hettich drawer systems.

I haven’t decided if I want to make more kitchens but for now it’s back to making tables and chairs with some exciting developments in the pipeline :)

#kitchen #customkitchen #whiteoak #timberkitchen #woodworking #furnituremaker #customfurniture #furnituredesign #sunshinecoastkitchens #sunshinecoaststyle #sunshinecoasthomes #interiordesign #pantry #kitcheninspo #kitchenideas #diy #rennovation #floatingshelf

This is the perfect example of why I make furniture. I built this baby half sized stool in 2021 for a little girl who was still in her mothers’ belly and apparently she now uses it every day. The stains and paint and crayon marks show that this stool has been used and loved during its lifetime. The stool will now hold memories for the little girl who uses it and it will continue on to serve its custodian until it’s potentially handed down to another little person who needs it, so that they can add to its patina and scratches, contributing to the ever changing artwork that is the story of this teeny tiny stool 🪑

#stool #furnituremaker #furniture #vintagefurniture #customfurniture #furnituredesign #handmade #slowfurniture #slowliving #sunshinecoastliving #sunshinecoastmums #childrensfurniture #sunshinecoasthomes #homewares

It was a long process but the hard work paid off. I had to work on this pantry sporadically on and off in between other commissions and a theatre contract. My plan was to work on the pantry during the day and perform on stage at night. Needless to say that did not work out, burning the candle at both ends doesn’t do you any favours. But I got through both projects with my dignity and all ten fingers intact! ✋🤚

#pantry #drawers #timberfurniture #cabinetry #dovetails #handcutdovetails #blinddovetails #handcutjoinery #joinery #woodworking #handtools #kitchen #customkitchen #customfurniture #timberkitchen #furnituremaker #furnituredesign #diy #slowliving #sunshinecoasthomes #interiordesign #sunshinecoaststyle

This is a long one, but I think it’s important to show how much goes into making one of these stools. Every step of the process contributes to the whole and makes the piece unique. Making things by hand is not always fast and it’s almost never easy but the results are always worth the effort!

If you’d like to order one of these bar stools get in touch and you can be put on the list for the next time I make a batch.

#furnituremaker #woodworkingprocess #woodworkinginspiration #woodworking #chairmaking #woodworker #customfurniture #furnituredesign #handmade #slowfurniture #sunshinecoastfurniture #queenslandmade #australiantimber #slowliving

I’m not a wood turner, but I do turn wood. I turn wood into chair legs. This is a Timelapse of how I make the legs for my new design of bar stool. It took me a couple of attempts to get the proportions just right, but I really like the subtle taper and gentle curves. This deceptively simple shape still requires concentration, finesse and a steady hand.

Comment how long you think this one leg took to go from square stock to a finished leg.

#furnituremaker #woodworker #woodworking #woodturning #lathe #chairmaking #customfurniture #furnituredesign #handmade #slowfurniture #sunshinecoasthinterland #sunshinecoastmaker #sunshinecoaststyle #sunshinecoastfurniture

Had to take some progress shots and loved how this stool looked in it’s raw form. The seat will get smoothed out and oiled but there’s something really appealing about the imperfect tool marks. ✋🤚

I’m thinking having this stool as a recurring product I sell on my website. Should I leave the hand carved texture or smooth out all the bumps?

#chairmaking #woodworking #customfurniture #carvedseat #woodcarving #handcarved #handmade #furnituredesign #woodworking #seating #sunshinecoaststyle #sunshinecoasthome #interiordesign #woodworker #slowfurniture #workshop #barstool #timberfurniturenoosa

The journey continues. Today’s quest: to drill a hole without blowing out the back side (Get your minds out of the gutter). After many failed attempts, the gods of chairmaking showed me the way…

A sharp brad point bit, pre-finishing the leg, tape tightly wrapped around the entry and exit and a concave backing piece of plywood curved to conform to the radius of the leg is all it takes for a clean hole!

By “gods of chairmaking” I am or course referring to Trial, Error, and our lord and saviour Peter Galbert.

#woodworking #chairmaking #furnituremaker #furnituredesign #customfurniture #diy #handmade #slowfurniture #woodworker #makermovement #windsorchairs

I chose to do things the traditional way this time and use the ancient Turbo Plane to carve a seat. Chairmakers and woodworkers have used this tool for centuries along with the ancient Egyptian chainsaw. It definitely “cuts down” on time. I’ve got three of these seats to carve for a custom designed bar stool order, so being able to remove the bulk of the material quickly is awesome!🤩

Follow along to see how the project progresses and what other traditional woodworking technologies I use.

If anyone knows where I can get a Travisher in Australia, please let me know.

#turboplane #furnituremaker #chairmaking #woodcarving #powercarving #woodworking #customfurniture #furnituredesign #barstool #handmade #slowfurniture #handtools #traditionalwoodworking #sunshinecoastcustomfurniture

Someone tell me if this is cheating…😬 a quick and easy way to drill at an angle. I just set up two laser levels, one at 90 degrees and one at the desired angle (in this case 11 degrees) and I just keep the lasers lined up with the drill bit. This would be even more accurate with a longer drill bit or extension.

I know that “traditional” way is with mirrors and sliding bevels but… whatever, this is how I’m doing it okay!

10 points to whoever can guess what I’m making

#furnituremaker #chairmaking #woodworker #woodworking #woodworkingideas #customfurniture #furnituredesign #handmade #slowfurniture #slowliving #sunshinecoasthinterland #sunshinecoastfurniture

Any excuse you use a dovetail key… this drawer front had a crack developing and I knew it was my duty to add a teeny tiny inlay. Somehow a tiny dovetail inlay is far more satisfying than a big one. It’s these little details that make a project truly unique. 🦄

#dovetail #dovetailkey #bowtie #butterflykey #inlay #woodworking #furnituremaker #woodworker #customfurniture #furnituredesign #drawers #customdrawers #traditionalcrafts #handmade #slowfurniture #sunshinecoastfurnituremaker #sunshinecoasthome #homedecor #sunshinecoaststyle

ANNOUNCEMENT: I’m now an MTC affiliate!

If you’ve ever considered buying had tools from @melbournetoolcompany now’s the time to do it! New year. New tools. New you!

Use the affiliate link in my bio to buy your MTC tool and you’ll be supporting me and my work as well as getting an absolute cracker hand tool!

#woodworking #handtools #joinery #planing #spokeshave #woodplane #routerplane #woodworker #furnituremaker #customfurniture #diy #handmade #makermovement

Q&A. Ask me anything. I’m interested what my audience wants to know and how I can better serve your interests. From what finish I use, how I price my work, or how I got into woodworking, it’s up to you. So if you’ve ever wanted to know something about me or my work, get in touch and I’ll try to answer all the questions :)

#Q&A #furnituremaker #woodworker #woodworking #customfurniture #furnituredesign #diy #handmade #slowfurniture #sunshinecoastfurniture #japanesetools #joinery #dovetail

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BEN ADAMS

BESPOKE FURNITURE & HOMEWARES

MONTVILLE, QLD

HAND
CRAFTED

UNIQUE
DESIGN

GET A QUOTE

MADE
-TO-
ORDER

FROM OUR
CUSTOMERS

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promotions and special offers

BESPOKE FURNITURE & HOMEWARES

MONTVILLE, QLD

HAND CRAFTED

UNIQUE DESIGN

GET A QUOTE

MADE -TO- ORDER

FROM OUR CUSTOMERS

​

Follow us on Instagram

Join the mailing list for news, promotions and special offers

HAND
CRAFTED

UNIQUE
DESIGN

MADE
-TO-
ORDER

FROM OUR
CUSTOMERS

Join the mailing list for news,
promotions and special offers