An award-winning designer and master craftsman based in Perthshire has created a bespoke collection of hand-crafted furniture for a world-renowned restaurant with rooms on the shores of Loch Dunvegan on the Isle of Skye.
Angus Ross was recently selected by The Three Chimneys to create the furniture.
Mr Ross, who is based at Aberfeldy, has been transforming local sustainable Scottish wood into furniture for homes, gardens and public places across the UK for more than three decades, including the National Trust, The Athenaeum in London, The Wolds Way, the National Trail in Yorkshire and The John Muir Way.
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In early 2024, he was commissioned to create 24 individual pieces of bespoke furniture for each of The Three Chimneys’ six guest rooms.
The full collection includes 12 bedside tables, six coffee tables and six drinks cabinets, which are all now in place at their new home on the Isle of Skye.
Over the years, Mr Ross’s work has been showcased in some of the world’s most prestigious interior design magazines, including Elle Decoration, Vogue, and Homes & Gardens. He also exhibits his work at the RHS Chelsea Flower Show, London Design Fair and London Craft Week.
Originally from Inverness, Mr Ross studied BSc industrial design at Edinburgh’s Napier University before working as an industrial designer. After graduating, he specialised in mass-produced designs using plastics, before retraining as a furniture maker more than 30 years ago.
He said: “I was delighted when The Three Chimneys approached me. Initially, we were only asked to make new drink cabinets, but the commission grew to include coffee tables and bedside tables.”
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In January, Angus and his wife, Lorna, visited The Three Chimneys on Skye to seek inspiration for the furniture designs and to "gain a sense of the place".
Mr Ross said: “I make high-end furniture and The Three Chimneys provide exceptional food and hospitality at a very high level, so it felt very nice to be bringing that same attention to the detail into the bedroom furniture.”
He added: “I was inspired by the vernacular tongue-and-groove woodwork that you see in old buildings on Skye, but I wanted to make extra special furniture for them.
“We decided to use ash for the wood as it’s light in colour and has got lots of character to it.”
The Scottish ash for The Three Chimneys was sourced and milled by Scottish Wood, a specialist native wood timber yard and social enterprise based near Dunfermline.
Mr Ross said: “The new furniture I’ve created is contemporary, fresh, crisp, light, subtle and fun. I was inspired by the iconic Three Chimneys and used the tapered chimney pot proportions for the new bedside table design.”
The coffee table design has asymmetrical tapered legs and features a tongue-and-groove shelf. The natural grain of the ash is proudly displayed on the table top and the finely crafted joints are left visible.
Tapered legs are also echoed in the drinks cabinet, which is made from solid wood with tongue-and-groove elements. The natural knots of sustainable non-commercially-grown timber are "embraced and celebrated".
Brett Davidge, managing director of The Wee Hotel Company, which owns The Three Chimneys on Skye and the Pierhouse Hotel at Port Appin in Argyll, said: “The Wee Hotel is committed to supporting and showcasing the best creative talent from across Scotland’s crafts community at our venues on Skye and the Argyll coast.
“Angus Ross is recognised nationally as an award-winning designer, master craftsman and woodsman. His unrivalled experience and passion for transforming local sustainable wood into the finest-quality furniture is the perfect fit for The Three Chimneys. His collection has really elevated our six individually styled guest rooms, adding an extra touch of warmth, character and charm.”
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