KERR CARPENTRY Focus on business Living Orkney

focus on BUSINESS
himself again, and on his own terms,
incorporating elements into his
business that he felt were important.
"I have always had the dream of doing
things my own way and improving
the quality of the pieces through
the use of improved communication
with the clients as well as using
higher quality construction methods
and materials. I also prefer to use
home-grown native timbers that
offer a far superior look and finish
to the commission. I just like to tailor
things for the customer to give an
even more unique and personalised
service.
Leo has also made his own purposebuilt workshop and officially set up
Kerr Carpentry in September 2014.
WORDS: Samantha Craigie PHOTOS: Courtesy of Leo Kerr
three decades.
Leo's background ensured he has
the very best possible start for his
own carpentry career and he now
has extensive experience in all
aspects of furniture-making and
restoration as well as fine joinery
and carpentry.
After leaving school, Leo started an
apprenticeship with his dad and was
taught all about furniture restoration,
upholstery, furniture-making and
carpentry.
Leo explains: "I had a different kind
of apprenticeship, a combination of
making and restoration, as well as
fine joinery. I started with furniture
restoration, and learnt a lot from
taking old furniture apart and seeing
how it was made.
"My dad has had a very big influence
on what I do today.
"Much of what he did was derived
from a traditional way of working –
with a lot of his own design pieces
incorporating
these
traditional
methods.
Leo Kerr in his current workshop
Celebrating its first birthday this
month, is Burray-based carpentry
and furniture-making business, Kerr
Carpentry.
The company, which is owned
and run by craftsman Leo Kerr,
specialises in furniture-making,
bespoke kitchens and interior
design, fine joinery and carpentry
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Living Orkney
– such as, staircases, finishings,
doors, windows and summerhouses
– as well as furniture restoration.
Leo is the son of now retired, master
craftsman Colin Kerr of Eday-based
company Sui Generis – whose
distinctive style and ‘one of a kind’
pieces have been sought after
throughout Orkney and beyond for
"I learned about making traditional
joints,
including
handmade
dovetails; using handsaws that you
re-sharpen by hand, and all the other
old original methods of carpentry
and furniture-making. That's how I
learned my craft.
'Green Man' chair carving
in Eday, Leo also started his own
business doing building work, roofs
and joinery etc.
However in 2005, Leo moved into
Kirkwall to work as a workshop
joiner for a large joinery firm.
The move proved successful for Leo,
who progressed to the position of
workshop chargehand and worked
for the company for nine years.
During this time Leo, a family man,
built his own cedar-clad family home
in Burray.
"I built our house having designed it
myself. It was good experience and
I feel you learn a lot from building
a property. There are a wide variety
of elements and it is a different
discipline from the bench joinery
side of things. I enjoyed designing
each aspect to fit our needs and
requirements.
"I'd certainly like to take on that type
of project again in the future."
Now after a successful year in
business Leo has taken on his first
full-time member of staff to help with
the growing demand.
"It was a bit daunting, but needed as
I was actually having to turn down a
few jobs because I just didn't have
the time to do them.
"Of course, it isn't just the practical
work, there is all the business side
of things too, i.e. paperwork, which
can be extensive.
and kirk doors to be repaired and
restored. The pews are then getting
re-used for the new cafe tables and
booths. I'm also making some of my
own design furniture for the café. So
it's a really big project to be involved
with, which is a great privilege."
Much of Leo's other work includes
staircases, sash and case windows,
doors and property alterations
and conversions, along with any
other joinery work, tailored to the
customers’ desires.
Leo feels his work covers a wide
variety of things and a broad
spectrum.
"The work I do isn't pigeonholed,
one day I can be making a piece
completely unique and individual to
a particular customer and the next
be putting up a fence or making
a gate. But I like that, it stops you
getting bored and from getting
stuck in a rut."
Leo has obviously inherited his
dad's flair for design and has
already developed a number of
"Fortunately being involved with the
family business of Sui Generis in the
past, I had experience with many
aspects including, the paperwork,
advertising, accounts, marketing
etc, so it is familiar to me.
"It is also good that I am able to mix
in family life with my working life –
having the workshop here at my
home.”
Kerr Carpentry designs and creates
handmade,
bespoke
wooden
furniture and joinery as well as
furniture restoration and repair work.
While working for the Kirkwall
joinery firm, Leo was doing similar
work to what he now does including
bespoke staircases, windows and
doors.
"Everything I have done in the past
has had an influence but now it is
about developing the individual and
personalised side of things, like
the one-off pieces of furniture and
kitchens etc."
"It is good to have that background
knowledge, and to be able to
compare different methods and
incorporate them into a modern way
of working."
"It was good experience and gave
me another 'string to my bow'. It gave
me an element of the commercial
side of carpentry that I could adapt
for my own business, which I didn't
have before."
One of the largest projects Leo has
been working on since starting his
own business is renovating the St
Andrew's Kirk in Tankerness for
Sheila Fleet Jewellery.
During his time developing his skills
Leo knew he wanted to work for
"I'm involved with taking out all the
old pews, lining boards, floor boards
Roll-top desk, before
and after restoration
–Living Orkney
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"Orkney is all about quality – the
food and drink, the jewellery, arts
and crafts, hospitality etc, and I
think quality is very much sought by
the people who live here too.”
Even after just one year, Leo feels
the decision to set up on his own
was the right one for himself and
his family.
"It was a huge jump to make, but I
always knew it was right.
"My family have been very
supportive, particularly my partner
and my dad.
"Dad has been such an inspiration
and has also helped me with
materials and machinery needed to
get me started.
"But running your own business is
still a lot of investment, financially
and time consuming.
'Old Man of Hoy' fire-surround carving
beautiful and unique items proving
popular with customers.
"Sometimes customers come with
elements of designs, and with
thoughts about what they want,
and I help fill in the gaps — for
example someone might desire a
small table but want it to match the
furniture they already have, but it
all really depends on the individual
customer,
their circumstances,
and what suits their needs and
requirements.
"It is great to have the background
experience to know what woods
and tools you can use, or how you
can adapt things to suit a given
situation."
Orkney," he laughs. "It's slim
pickings, so I have to go slightly
further afield. But there are ways
and means with the right research
and established contacts in the
trade."
Providing a quality service and
products is extremely important to
Leo for his growing business.
"I think what I do can be classed as
a niche market but there are people
who still want the highest quality
craftsmanship
and
products,
however I am very adaptable to suit
each individual customer's budget
and requirements.
"I want to improve what I am doing
all the time, with better techniques
etc.
"So I am trying to put a lot back
into the business and there are
lots of new things that I want to try
and new materials I want to use
and experiment with. There is a lot
going on, but it all comes together
in my designs and the final results
for the customer." n
For further information and to
see some of Leo's work, visit
the Kerr Carpentry Facebook
page. Alternatively email him at
leokerr@hotmail.co.uk or phone
him on 01856 731935.
As well as using some traditional
methods, Leo likes to experiment
with new and improved, more
innovative construction methods
and materials. He is also keen to
use home-grown, native materials.
"I use a lot of oak, some elm and
cherry and I try to source wood
locally to try and keep the materials
native to Scotland as much as
possible.
"It is getting harder, to be honest,
even from ten years ago, with a
combination of regulations and the
scarcity of timber, the prices are
always going up."
"But there is not much here in
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Living Orkney
A kitchen that Leo made and fitted
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Staircases
Doors
Windows
Gates
Cabinets
Finishings
Bespoke-madeKitchens
Kitchen-fitting
Shop-fitting
SummerHouses
LoftConversions
PropertyRenovations
andAlterations
Custom-madeand
DesignedFurniture
FurnitureRepair
andRestoration
Tel: 01856 731935 • Mob: 07742 123470
Email: leokerr@hotmail.co.uk