Ghillie Dhu Furniture

Making a contemporary four poster bed

Quentin Dimmer's stunning, modern four poster bed.

A blog by Quentin Dimmer of Ghillie Dhu Furniture who graduated from the Chippendale International School of Furniture in 2011. While there Quentin won the students’ Best Design Award for his piece ‘A story teller’s chair – the Viking’s rocker’.

“I got the idea for making the four poster bed from a local antique dealer and friend of the family who suggested I make a four poster as they tend to sell well. I want to continue to make furniture that will eventually furnish an entire house.

“Anyway, I did some research; I really liked the Venetian style of four poster so I started playing on that theme to come up with my own interpretation. I noticed all the four posters I could find were made in dark woods like mahogany and ebonised woods so I wanted to make one in a lighter coloured wood to make it more contemporary.

“I chose birch for the posts as it symbolises fertility and sycamore for the frame and headboard. The wooden candle flames at the top of the posts is to symbolise passion, and the Celtic knotwork headboard is to symbolise love.

“I worked with a tree surgeon for a day and at the sawmill for a day to get the sycamore planked. For the birch, I have an agreement with a local landowner that I can take small amounts of timber from his land in return for helping to manage his woodlands. I aim to manage the woodlands for continual cover and encourage the production of high quality hardwood timber in the longer term. Because I used green timber for the posts, I let it season at home.

“I may take the bed to an exhibition in Aberdeen in September.”

Ghillie Dhu Furniture’s services include furniture design, making and antique restoration. He aims to “make furniture as art”. Using tree surgery skills Quentin also offers an opportunity to have fine or garden furniture made from a tree on your own land.