Swallowdale Woodwork
Swallowdale Woodwork is a small furniture and woodworking company operated by Robert Conway (Rob) from his shop in the Cowichan Valley. Rob has long been attracted to furniture that emphasizes craftsmanship, the use of local materials, and designs with strong, simple lines. He considers himself more of an artisan than artist, and strives to create pieces that are functional, attractive, and durable.While it does take on custom work, Swallowdale Woodwork primarily builds from a small but growing portfolio of furniture and wood product designs. This approach allows pieces to be produced efficiently with designs and construction methods that are carefully developed and vetted. While the designs are somewhat standardized, there is still plenty of opportunity to customize your piece with your selection of wood species, construction details and finish. If you are looking for something that is not available from the Swallowdale portfolio please contact Rob to discuss having it produced as either a unique custom piece or as a collaboration that can be added to the company’s portfolio. Swallowdale Woodwork also creates small woodcrafts that make great gifts or affordable enhancements for your home.
“Have nothing in your house that you do not know to be useful or believe to be beautiful” -
William Morris
Our Work
Swallowdale Woodwork builds a variety of products from wood but as a small shop it specializes in high quality, small-to-medium sized pieces. Examples of past work includes tables, seating, wall cabinets, built-in cabinets, beds, book shelves, garden furniture and interior and exterior doors. We also do furniture repair and restoration. Our goal is to design and build products that our clients are proud to own and that we are proud to put our name to. We also strive to provide clients with a positive experience through good communication and reliable service.
Furniture
Our primary business is designing and building furniture that demonstrates unpretentious usefulness. Quality, well designed wood furniture is not only functional, but can also enhance your home or workplace and provide simple pleasure for your lifetime and beyond. While hand crafted furniture is an investment, it has many advantages over mass produced furniture. If you are thinking of acquiring a new piece of furniture we would welcome the opportunity to discuss options and possibilities with you.
Architectural Work
The architectural woodwork we produce is built in our shop and installed on-site. Similar to the furniture we build, it is designed and built to high standards and with client input. Examples include doors, mantels, wall paneling, alcoves, entertainment centres and built-in book shelves.
Small Items
Some of the smaller wood products produced by Swallowdale are more affordable than large scale pieces. They also fit more readily into smaller spaces and can provide an elegant, custom touch to your home or work space. Such items produced by Swallowdale in the past include whiskey and wall cabinets, tool boxes, picture frames and storage boxes. We also intend to expand our portfolio of products, so if you have something in mind we would love to discuss it with you.
Commissions
We work with clients to design and build custom pieces to suit your specific needs and vision while also incorporating the principles of Swallowdale Woodwork. This collaborative approach allows you input on the design, materials and finish while ensuring efficient and effective construction. After initial contact the commissioning process begins with a small design fee to offset some of the consultation and drafting time required to design and price a custom piece. The design fee will be deducted from the total price should you decide to proceed.
Gift Ideas
Do you struggle to find meaningful gifts to mark milestone events for those you care about? A handcrafted wood product from Swallowdale Woodwork may be the solution. Perhaps it is a hope chest for your daughter’s sixteenth birthday, a library desk for your son’s university
graduation, a whiskey wall cabinet for your father’s retirement or an anniversary jewelry box for your wife. There are many options available and Swallowdale can work with you to make something that is perfect for that special person.
Repairs, Restorations and Reproductions
It is increasingly difficult to find help with repairing and maintaining vintage furniture. While Swallowdale is not a furniture refinishing company, we do undertake furniture repairs and restorations to extend the life of existing furniture. We can also make reproductions based on furniture pieces you have or have seen.
About
Swallowdale Woodwork builds thoughtfully designed furniture and other wood products using local wood and traditional joinery. It strives to produce functional pieces that are both a pleasure to use and admire. Utilizing time-tested designs, quality materials and uncompromising construction, products from Swallowdale Woodwork are meant to last generations and have a meaning and value that you can’t get from mass produced products.Rob has worked with wood since childhood and has built furniture, cabinets, doors and other creations from wood for himself, friends, family and clients over the past 40 years. In 2024 Rob retired from his career as an urban planner to pursue woodworking full time. He completed the Craftsman Program in Fine Woodworking at Rosewood Studio in Perth, Ontario and now works full time from the Swallowdale wood shop.If you have an idea you would like to explore or are interested in commissioning a piece of furniture or other wood product please contact Rob to discuss.
Contact
If you would like to visit the workshop, inquire about available pieces, or begin the process of ordering a custom piece, please reach out. We will get back to you as soon as possible.(250) 715-6047 / [email protected]
Pieces Available for Purchase
Whiskey Cabinet
This curved front cabinet is built with hand cut dovetail construction and a curved door using shop sawn veneer. The wood is spalted Big Leaf maple from Koksilah and discreet solid brass knife hinges are used for the door. The interior is configured for a bottle and tumblers but could also accommodate other valued objects.
$850.00
Wall Cabinet
This bow-front cabinet is built from local quarter sawn Garry Oak. The hand cut dovetails on the case are left “proud” to emphasize the joinery. A fuming process was used to darken the wood naturally and to give it a warm tone. The interior of the cabinet has adjustable shelves to accommodate different sized items. A french cleat is used for hanging the piece on a wall and to allow it to be easily taken down if desired.
$850.00
Tool Box Tote
This piece has a traditional western tool box form that can be used for storing and transporting any number of smaller items. The bottom is attached to the side walls with hand cut dovetails to lock it in place and provide visual interest. The curved handle is joined to the box using wedged through mortise and tenons to ensure the piece will withstand the tests of time. Garry Oak finished with water resistant urethane varnish are used to ensure the piece is durable and water resistant.
$550.00
Krenov Style Saw Horses
A description of these saw horses and their merits can be found in the Shop Notes section. These saw horses are built from local hardwood using traditional joinery methods. These saw hoses are light, elegant and strong and can be used for a variety of purposes.
$450.00 per pair
Shop Notes
Why Swallowdale Woodwork?
September, 2025
You may have wondered, why is this company named Swallowdale Woodwork? Let me explain.When I was a young fellow, I was hooked on a series of books by British author Arthur Ransome. The first in the series was Swallows and Amazons. It was published in the early 1930’s and is about a group of children and their outdoor adventures involving sailing, camping, and hiking. It is set in the Lakes District of England; a beautiful place I have been fortunate to visit a few times...
KRENOV STYLE SAW HORSES
October, 2025
James Krenov (deceased) was a renowned woodworker who was part of the renaissance of fine woodworking that began in the early 1970’s. His writing, teaching, and craftsmanship inspired many to pursue woodworking as a craft, including me. His elegant use of proportion, detail, and material is evident in his signature cabinets, but also simpler pieces like his saw horse design...
THE REALIZATION OF AN IDEA
November, 2025
In a casual conversation with my grandfather many years ago, he shared an opinion that, “there is nothing better than a door knob to hang your coat on”. The thought stuck in my mind, and when I needed a coat rack for our home, I decided to develop the idea further....
Some Comments on Pricing
November, 2025
Pricing my work is probably the part of this small business I like the least. Woodworking is a labour- and capital-intensive process and if the work isn’t priced properly, I don’t cover my costs and it becomes difficult to sustain the business and to allocate the time required to produce quality pieces. Conversely, I do not want to price my work so aggressively that it is only affordable to the very affluent or so that I am pricing myself out of projects I want to do. I am still refining what I charge, but my general approach it to aim for a “fair” price – meaning I am charging enough to cover costs and receive a modest wage for my time...
Why Swallowdale Woodwork?
September, 2025
You may have wondered, why is this company named Swallowdale Woodwork? Let me explain.When I was a young fellow, I was hooked on a series of books by British author Arthur Ransome. The first in the series was Swallows and Amazons. It was published in the early 1930’s and is about a group of children and their outdoor adventures involving sailing, camping, and hiking. It is set in the Lakes District of England; a beautiful place I have been fortunate to visit a few times.The second book in the Swallows and Amazons series is Swallowdale. This novel is also set in the Lakes District and features the lakes, moors, fells, and beautiful landscapes of that part of England. The Swallows and Amazon novels celebrate beauty, independence and initiative, and invoke a simpler time when childhood revolved around nature and invented adventure.Another reason I have chosen the name Swallowdale is related to the fabulous bird life we have in the Cowichan Valley. In the spring and summer, the violet green swallows put on a show with their silent aerial acrobatics. The beauty of these birds and their connection to my favourite childhood book series have inspired the name of this woodworking enterprise.
KRENOV STYLE SAW HORSES
October, 2025
James Krenov (deceased) was a renowned woodworker who was part of the renaissance of fine woodworking that began in the early 1970’s. His writing, teaching, and craftsmanship inspired many to pursue woodworking as a craft, including me. His elegant use of proportion, detail, and material is evident in his signature cabinets, but also simpler pieces like his saw horse design.Calling these “saw horses” does not do them justice, as they are in a different class than your typical saw horse. What makes these so great is that they are light, strong, versatile, and elegant. They have become a staple in small wood shops throughout North America and I have built four pairs for my shop. I use them daily for many purposes and when not in use, they nestle away in a corner and consume very little of my valuable shop floor space.My version is built from local hardwood with rock solid wedged mortise and tenon joinery. The top rail can be removed if it is worn or otherwise requires replacement. They are finished with three coats of shellac.Krenov style saw horses are useful aids to have in any shop, garage or wherever temporary support is needed. They can also be used in homes and businesses for other purposes, such as bases for table tops and desks.Standard versions of these saw horses can be found for sale in the “Available Pieces” section of this website. I can also make custom versions to suit your particular needs.
THE REALIZATION OF AN IDEA
November, 2025
In a casual conversation with my grandfather many years ago, he shared an opinion that, “there is nothing better than a door knob to hang your coat on”. The thought stuck in my mind, and when I needed a coat rack for our home, I decided to develop the idea further.I began by sourcing some interesting old door knobs from a second-hand store. It turns out that old door hardware was generally much better quality than the mass-produced junk available from hardware stores today. I was able get a good selection of solid brass, coloured ceramic and Bakelite knobs for the project.I decided to add a small beveled mirror to the piece with the door knobs mounted below. The frame was constructed from some Garry Oak boards I had stashed away and I finished it with a traditional “fuming” process using ammonia that looks great on oak.The result was an entry door mirror and coat rack that we use every day. As a bonus, I often think of my grandfather when I hang a coat on it. He was absolutely right – there is nothing better than a door knob for hanging a coat.If you have a wood project you would like to develop and possibly have made, let’s discuss it.
Some Comments on Pricing
November, 2025
Pricing my work is probably the part of this small business I like the least. Woodworking is a labour- and capital-intensive process and if the work isn’t priced properly, I don’t cover my costs and it becomes difficult to sustain the business and to allocate the time required to produce quality pieces. Conversely, I do not want to price my work so aggressively that it is only affordable to the very affluent or so that I am pricing myself out of projects I want to do. I am still refining what I charge, but my general approach it to aim for a “fair” price – meaning I am charging enough to cover costs and receive a modest wage for my time. The following are some considerations regarding how I price work and what you should expect when purchasing products from Swallowdale Woodwork.• A wood shop capable of producing high quality products requires a range expensive tools and machinery. In addition to the cost of acquisition and replacement, tools and machinery must be kept sharp and maintained. Projects need to contribute to these costs.• Furniture and wood products need to be produced in heated space with a temperature and humidity that is comparable to the space where the piece will ultimately go. A portion of the shop building and associate overhead costs are allocated to projects.• Small runs and one-off projects require an investment in client consultation and preliminary design. These costs are typically carried by the business with an expectation they will be at least partially recovered if the client proceeds with work. Design drawings done in advance of payment is propriety and should not be used to obtain quotes from competing firms.• Custom furniture and woodwork will generally be more expensive than mass produced products. This can be partly explained by superior materials and workmanship, but also
because custom work does not benefit from economies of scale. Our work is not priced to compete with Ikea or other mass market manufacturers.• Furniture quality wood is expensive. Only the best lumber is suitable for furniture construction and it must be kiln dried and stored appropriately so it does not shrink and warp after the piece is completed. I can help reduce the lumber cost by using locally harvested wood rather than imported products, but the cost of raw wood and other materials will still comprise a large percentage of the total price.• Providing a fixed price requires me to estimate how much time and materials I will spend on it. Small runs and one-off projects are difficult to estimate precisely because of uncertainties with the production process. To avoid having the business absorb 100% of the time and materials that exceed the estimate some contingency (typically 10%) is required for fixed price quotes.• I price work based on shop rate of $50 an hour, which covers fixed costs (shop, tools, utilities), soft cost (accounting, marketing, bank fees), and labour (my time and services commissioned from others). Materials required for the project are charged on top of this plus a contingency.My experience has been that most clients find quotes from Swallowdale Woodwork to be fair and reasonable. The type of work we do requires a level of trust from both parties and I work hard to build and maintain trust and a good relationship with clients throughout the process. If clients have questions or concerns about pricing or what you will receive in exchange, I am very happy to discuss those with you. Lastly, I acknowledge that people will value the type of work I do differently and, if you decide it isn’t for you, I completely respect that.If you are looking for quality woodwork that is functional, beautiful and a good long-term value, I am confident we can do this for you at a price we both consider to be fair.
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