One of the most popular and most watched episodes of Grand Designs was that of woodsman Ben Law, handbuilding his cruck-framed home in the Sussex woodland he manages.
The thought he put into making the wood the centrepiece of his incredible home and the care with which he handcrafted every element appealed not just to me but to viewers across the globe. The sheer beauty of wood sung out thanks to his skill.
At the end of that series he said how much the house and building it had changed his life and how he lived. We can’t all build our own home from scratch, but we can, without doubt, benefit daily from the beauty of wood around us.
Wood is our oldest construction material. It is both renewable and durable. These days, we are aware of its carbon positive nature – wood is effectively a carbon sink, positively addressing climate change.Because it is a natural resource, it is non-toxic.
It is naturally insulating, and whilst combustible, it burns slowly, predictably, and measurably.
It ages naturally, becoming ever more attractive with the years ( something that many of us envy!). When it does come to the end of its life, its natural breakdown is not environmentally damaging.
But for me, the most important and evident benefit of wood in construction is the positive impact of it on our well-being and health. This is based on wood’s biophilic properties. Biophilia relates to our innate need as humans for connections to nature. The word stems from the Greek for love of nature. Sociologists and psychologists have researched and written about how wood in construction, particularly in offices and homes, can reduce stress and blood pressure and result in more positive moods as well as increased concentration.
Those studies have been across the globe – Biophilia benefits have been noticed in British Columbia, where a study showed wood surfaces in offices, lowered heart rates, and decreased blood pressure, resulting in less stress. In Europe, a study compared wood and plaster indoor finishing and found the wood created more positive emotions in participants.
Being surrounded by nature on the boat as we float through our life and work has always been a hugely positive part of boatlife for us, but now we have the delight of nature within thanks to the beautiful bespoke wooden kitchen built for us this month.
It is evident that this tactile, smooth, and natural crafted kitchen it is already changing how we feel, how we live, and how much we enjoy our floating home. I’m sitting writing this whilst stroking the beautiful warmth and grain of the substantial worktop on which my laptop is resting. I defy anyone to come aboard and not stroke the curves of the solid beech worktop, to trace the shapes and patterns, the whorls and waves within the wood, that tell its stories.
The beech is one aspect but the upstands and cupboard doors have different tales to tell being made of black walnut, and beside them maple and oak bring their unique qualities to a kitchen which is nothing short of remarkable.
Every day, I find something different, a different pattern, a new addition to how we live because of this remarkable piece of craftsmanship. We have the benefit that this beautiful kitchen was built for us by a young man who is a master of his craft, and he’s also a boater. As such, he understands the need to maximise space, making the most of every centimetre on the boat and of the beautiful wood he uses. There are elements that are nothing short of remarkable. Above the sink hangs a crafted draining cupboard that is nothing short of art. It holds our crockery and washing up, doing away with the need to have an unattractive metal or plastic drainer taking up space and breaking up the beauty of our sea of beech worktop.
Cupboards have been designed to cope with the sloping tumblehome od our nartowboat and to specifically fit particular elements important to our life, like a beautiful hand cranked sewing machine (thank you Roena) and a (new) air fryer. Drawers are designed without intrusive handles. The plinth is full of drawers, and there are no less than 7 drawers in this exquisite unit.
Now we play the game of ‘Where does this live?’ But there’s no frustration in that, even if I have to open every cupboard and drawer in the kitchen to find something, it is a delight to do so. This beautiful carefully crafted kitchen is just breathtaking, as gorgeous to use as it is to look at. It is making a massive, positive difference to how we continue to live and work afloat.
Pickingupducks 