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New Zealand Made | Sustainability | Hand Made | Media Releases | Interior Design and Decoration
About Ashton Grove
Ashton Grove was founded in 1993 and began production
in the spare bedroom of a Marlborough house. A potential niche in the
furniture market was discovered when the Company started turning
recycled Rimu and Matai from demolished buildings into dining tables,
blanket boxes and coffee tables.
That niche was finely crafted hand made furniture. Ironically, the
furniture was made by hand because all the company owned at the time was
a few hand tools, but it soon became apparent that people appreciated
the ‘hand-made’ touch. The Company soon outgrew its Marlborough site and
moved to Christchurch to expand the burgeoning business.
In 1997 Ashton Grove opened its first retail showroom in Merivale, where
it remains today. The rest, as they say, is history. Ashton Grove now
employs ten cabinet-makers and two finishers to create the furniture
still predominantly made by hand at its workshop in Christchurch. As a
testament to the success, there are now showrooms in Auckland,
Wellington and Melbourne.
Selection of timbers:
Ashton Grove furniture is crafted predominantly from French Oak. Cherry,
Elm, Walnut and Australian Red Gum are used when available, and other
timbers can be sourced upon request.
The traditional techniques:
It is vital when working with solid timber to allow for the natural
movement; timber expands and contracts in width – never the length – and
the movement can be amazing. The traditional cabinet making techniques
Ashton Grove follows allow the pieces to work with this movement… they
incorporate cock-beaded drawer pockets, floating panels and dove-tail
locked reverse ends. These proven techniques of traditional old guilds
need a kind of craftsman’s affection for the task that makes them very
rare today.
The hand-made touch:
All Ashton Grove furniture is hand-planed and hand sanded. Then there
are the special touches such as using a spoke-shave to round the edges,
producing a well worn in look, then ‘ageing’ by hand – where chisels,
keys and tools create markings to provide pieces with the patina of a
time gone by.
Your family can then continue this “ageing” process, adding markings of
your own, without having to worry about damaging a perfect surface.
The French finish:
Each piece is stained to give it the desired colour. There are a variety
of shades to choose from – allowing you to really make your piece
distinctive. The high points are rubbed by hand and lightened to give
the impression of being an antique worn over time.
The furniture is given 20 to 30 coats of shellac, or French Polish as it
is also known. At least a day is required between each coat for drying
time, then slowly but surely the finish (known as an eggshell finish) is
built up. It is rubbed back with steel-wool and then waxed by hand with
bees wax.
Even the hardware is aged to keep the authentic patina. Handles are
sanded and then aged with a patina paste. The same process is applied to
all the keys, locks and chains – creating the feel of being used over
many generations.
Ashton Grove Style:
French Provincial furniture is characterised by simple, timeless lines
and was first made in France in the mid 1700s. As the name suggests, it
was made in the provinces and was in stark contrast to the ornate
furniture being made at the time in the cities. Oak country furniture
was made in the country in England during the same period.
Most Ashton Grove pieces are loosely based on these furniture
influences, although the latest range features some Spanish and Tuscan
styled pieces.
New Zealanders and Australians are a very down to earth bunch and love
the timeless simplicity of these styles of furniture. Ashton Grove
pieces work well in both contemporary and traditional environments – be
it at the grand high country station or the beach house down a coastal
road…
Ashton Grove Timber:
All timber used by Ashton Grove is kiln dried to ensure as little
movement in the timber as possible. The kiln drying process involves air
drying the sawn timber for 12 months, then kiln drying it to take the
moisture content level down to 8%. The air in Melbourne and Christchurch
for instance is naturally 11 %. One metre of timber will expand and
contract (against the grain) up to 7mm with changes in climate and
humidity.
New Zealand Made | Sustainability | Hand Made | Media Releases | Interior Design and Decoration
FRANCHISING NOW AVAILABLE IN NEW ZEALAND AND AUSTRALIA! Click here to make an inquiry.
Page Last Updated: 17/05/2011 | © 2007 Ashton Grove | All rights reserved