Michael Salmen

Custom Woodwork at it's finest

Woodworking is in my blood. My great grandfather on my mother's side was a piano maker and on my father's side a tool maker. The tools these forebears left me are some of my most prized possessions.

I qualified as a cabinet maker and furniture designer in 1979 at the London College of Furniture, attaining City and Guilds and Advanced City and Guilds.

I mainly use traditional methods though I am not adverse to modern techniques when they prove to be more efficient.

I take pride in producing well made articles that will stand the test of time.

I live in the South Hokianga with my wife Elizabeth where we have extensive gardens and orchards. Living in the country keeps my overheads down but I am willing to travel to Auckland and around the upper north island to install any commission I produce in my workshop.

Turning & Kitchenware

I find turning is often the best way of using an unusual or rare piece of wood that is not sizeable enough to be made into anything else. Much of the wood I turn is from limbs pruned by local arborists so the timber is truly from a sustainable source.

I can turn anything from a bed post to a rattle, from a large bowl to a dainty olive spoon. As I do not usually work on production runs you would need to contact me with your requirements.

However, I generally have a few items on hand if you need a present at short notice. Telephone or email and I will reply as promptly as possible.

Furniture & Cabinet Making

I trained as a cabinet maker at the London School of Furniture and received an advanced city and guild in 1970.

From many years of practising the craft I can make almost any piece so if you have a design in mind please feel free to contact me and we could work together towards its creation.

I usually work in solid wood combining regular cabinet making with inlay, turning and carving.

Handcrafted Wooden Toys & Games

As a father of three I always made my children toys for birthdays and Christmas. These days my grandchildren play with many of these same toys so they have lasted well over thirty years and I expect they will easily last until they are great grandchildren.

I can reproduce any of the toys and games you see in the gallery. Please contact me for prices and estimate of delivery time.

Starship Hospital medical procedures toys

Custom Joinery

Although I qualified as a cabinet maker I am able to transfer my skills to joinery and particularly enjoy making doors, windows and staircases using solid timber.

I have built many decks and kitchen units and renovated several colonial villas.

This mortar and pestle is made from NZ grown Oak. I have made similar from Manuka which is a hard enough wood to enable grinding as are many other native woods. A small affordable gift.

A lovely way to showcase a rare piece of spalted Rewarewa. This box is designed for keeping rings in so would be an ideal wedding gift.

My tea caddy combines fine woodworking and turning. The design is a good way of showing contrasting timbers to good effect. Here I have used Rewarewa,Rosewood, Yew, Sycamore, and Rimu

The two woods used in this salad bowl are Rimu and Kahikatea. Making it in this way allows a deep hollow form to be created using less of what are precious materials

This large flattish Macrocarpa bowl (500mm -diameter) is given a lift with three swamp kauri spherical legs. Perfect for fruit this would be a substantial gift.

This pair of lidded pots made from a rare piece of spalted Rewarewa would make an excellent anniversary or wedding gift.

I turn a lot of grinders using a ceramic mechanism which works equally well with pepper or salt. These large ones are Totara, Ash and Pohutukawa.

I turn a lot of grinders using a ceramic mechanism which works equally well with pepper or salt. These large ones are Swamp Kauri.

I turn a lot of grinders using a ceramic mechanism which works equally well with pepper or salt. These large ones are maple.

This cake stand uses several contrasting timbers to make a decorative stand for a special cake.

Charcuterie are popular for serving cold meat and cheese. Made from gum.

Charcuterie are popular for serving cold meat and cheese. Made from oak.

The shells in this tōtara lazy Susan had sentimental value to the family who commissioned this piece.

The client requested a very particular height for this butcher's block and stool as she needed to sit whilst working due to a back injury. The Macrocarpa I used has a particularly beautiful cross grain on the top.

Much Swamp Kauri is being unearthed around Northland and I am occasionally fortunate to have access to some. This coffee table was sourced locally and the free flowing design of this piece allows the timber to speak for itself.

In this simple box I have combined two rare pieces of special wood. The outside is spalted Rewarewa and the lining is South American Purple Heart.

I designed this geometric box for my wife who uses it for her embroidery cottons. The frame is Kahikatea and the lids are Yew, Indian Rosewood and rare pieces of Lacebark.

The curved lid of this Walnut box was made using a moulding plane. I value using old tools and the curved profile of this plane was perfect for the job. The cross banding is traditional Tulipwood and Sycamore. The overall design was inspired by the handle which came from a pre-loved piece of furniture.

Although this piece of furniture is used for its traditional purpose of storing blankets it would have many other uses. The panels are inlaid with Sycamore, Kingwood, Tulipwood and Violet. The chest itself is made from recycled Kauri from an old Christchurch church.

This Rimu side table is one of a pair made to sit either side of a sofa or bed. I was thinking of British Arts and Crafts movement, circa 1930 when I designed them.

The solid marble slab on the top of this Kauri baker's block is used for pastry rolling. The shape and form of the front is rather like the Koru, but was based on an old silver Celtic clasp, adding detail to an otherwise rectilinear design. This piece of furniture works well in either a more traditional kitchen or as a contrasting piece in a more modern home.

Ancient Swamp Kauri can be the devil to work with for its tendency to splinter and tear. The timber of this dresser has been dated at more than 30 thousand years, and the rewards of working with it are more than worthwhile once oil has seeped in and the beautiful and interesting grain is revealed. A traditional design it would sit well in any kitchen. The craftsmanship includes spilt turning, fretwork, intricate drawer work and cockbead moulding.

This golf trophy combines a decorative wooden club with a hole in one.

This pool trophy uses concentric turning to give the eight ball design within a triangle.

Corner bookshelf made from swamp kauri.

A priestly friend commissioned this piece in French Oak to look after Mary.

This castle was certainly not a cheap gift but there were four children in the family and lots of friends. The winch which lowered the drawbridge had a safety feature which prevented a sudden drop and the battlement surrounding the top floor was high enough to prevent falling.

There are two levers to operate this crane. One works the boom and the other the lifting gear. My wife Elizabeth did the paint job.

Quarto is a great game for any age. All that is required is to count to four and recognise different shapes and colours. The two woods used in this model are Kahikatea and Rimu.

To create maximum contrast on this chessboard I used a rare piece of Totara washed up in a nearby stream. It had darkened considerably in the mud. The white squares are Tanekaha. The thin stripes are Kwila which is a much underrated hardwood from the Pacific and the surround is Kauri.

Planetary gears form the hub of this Merry-go-round. Three platforms spin one way and make the central platform spin in the opposite direction. The turned and painted characters can be taken off and on for a ride. I made this toy for my daughter when she was five and now her children play with it.

A gear train allows even a little person to crank this Ferris Wheel around and around. The characters from the Merry go Round fit on this toy too.

The Noah's Ark makes a multi level stacking puzzle with 7 levels of animal partners with Noah and Naama on the deck. Somehow the owl and the pussycat seem to have got on the wrong boat but you may like to suggest animal combinations of your own.

These trucks and tractors look a little battered but they are well over 30 years old with the original paintwork still bright. Enjoyed by my children and now my grandchildren.

Fairy doors in Swamp Kauri leading straight to a fantasy world.

Model of a Grumman Duck commissioned as a leaving present for a colleague who loved odd aeroplanes.

Starship Hospital commissioned these toys to help young children understand some medical procedures.

Copy of the iconic Bauhaus chess set of 1923. Pieces made from Kwila and Ash, board made from Swamp Kauri and Poplar.