Perthshire wood is star of luxury library
A Perthshire furniture maker went to America on a two- week trip to oversee installation of a luxury library in a private home.
Angus Ross, famed internationally for his ‘steam bending’ technique of birch and work with Perthshire-grown oak, ash and cherry, was commissioned to design and create a library to place 6000 books for a client.
The brief for Woodland Glade Library, Connecticut, was to celebrate both the architecture of the building and the woodland setting, so early this year Angus made designs in his workshop in Aberfeldy for bookcases, desks, chairs and reading spots integrated over three floors.
The shelves were linked with slender columns of steam-twisted Scottish oak sourced from near Errol, and the levels were connected with arched structures in cherry, with a wooden staircase from ground to first floor and a glass spiral staircase taking the family up to an ‘eyrie’ space in the roof.
“This project was for a family with links to Scotland, they visit the Highlands a couple of times a year and were very enthusiastic about our natural materials,” explained Angus.
“Their very reasonable budget allowed me to include every element of a traditional country house library - even hidden doors leading to other rooms.
“The balcony level has steam-twisted balusters, a central unit of gean (wild Scottish cherry) cut from just south of Perth and quirky wooden library ladders, triangular like traditional orchard ladders, which slide on a stainless steel rail.
“The columns are illuminated by down-lights like shafts of sunlight on tree trunks.
“These provide a regular natural rhythm which will be more apparent once the shelves are full of books.
“In the centre of the space is a circular unit, bathed in natural light, providing a place to sit and stand, to read.
“Arching columns lead up from this unit and project into the upper floor to support the balcony.”
The whole thing - bookcases, banisters and free-standing furniture - was hand built in Aberfeldy over six months by Angus and his team.
He pointed to the complicated logistics of a build in Perthshire for a location in the States: “I’ve exported individual pieces before, but this was many, many components, so lots of paperwork.
“The finished pieces were loaded into a container and took three weeks to reach their destination in Connecticut.”
Angus spent two weeks out there in September during phase one of the installation. He’s going back again before Christmas to put in the finishing touches.
The one-off library is not yet complete and will be transformed when full of the client’s 6000-strong collection of books.
“It has been exciting to design a concept for a whole interior and we have been making components for it since the spring,” remarked Angus, now back in Aberfeldy.
The balcony level has a central unit of gean (wild Scottish cherry) cut from just south of Perth Angus Ross