Carpentry in Kew

I love working in Kew. I love the greenery and the beautiful gardens.  Kew also exemplifies some excellent examples of Edwardian and Victorian architecture.

It’s such a pleasure to drive around and see the attention to detail and ornate design in something as simple as a verandah balustrade or a window frontage.  Kew also has many outstanding examples of contemporary architecture as well.

One of my favourite carpentry jobs is fixing sash windows. I’ve done this on many occasions in various Kew homes including moderate sized windows to floor to ceiling windows.  The technical process of replacing worn or often broken sash chords is the same regardless of the window’s size, yet full sized windows do require all my strength and more given that even the bottom sash can sometimes be taller than me!  What I enjoy is not only the finished process of making the window operational, but also discovering the type of iron weights that were used and which are located within the window frame. I’m yet to encounter any spiders in these cavities but I’ve certainly been met with more than my fair share of cobwebs!

Another special project I’ve completed in Kew is building a bathing box next to a fabulous pool. It is a replica of the many weatherboard bathing boxes you see along Brighton Beach, with exposed rafters and a pitched roof to match the main house.  It is a great storage area for the pool facilities and deck chairs and lends a real beach feel to the pool zone and surrounding gardens.