About the studio
Obsidian Grove Studio is run by Tom Curtis on the Central Coast of New South Wales. After years working as a cabinetmaker in Sydney, Tom set up a one-bench workshop locally to take on bespoke pieces full-time — small enough that every commission is built personally, from the first sketch to the install.
The studio works in Australian hardwoods — spotted gum, ironbark, blackbutt, silvertop ash, jarrah — and reclaimed timber when the source is known. Joinery is hand-cut where it matters, finished in hard wax oil or natural linseed.
There's no catalogue. Every piece is designed around the room it's going into, the person commissioning it, and the wood we have to hand. The process is slow on purpose — drawings, then a small scale model, then a single piece — and we'd rather make one thing well than three things in a hurry.
If something here suggests a piece you have in mind, write to us and we'll talk.
How we work
- Conversation. What the piece is for, the room, your daily life with it.
- Drawings & model. Hand sketches first, then a scale model so we can both look at the proportions in three dimensions.
- Build. Stock selection, joinery, assembly, finishing — typically six to twelve weeks.
- Install. We deliver and set the piece in place ourselves where possible.
Materials
Spotted gum, grey ironbark, blackbutt, silvertop ash, jarrah, and Australian red cedar (reclaimed). Salvaged timber when the source is known. Brass and natural fibres for hardware where appropriate. No veneers, no laminates.