Our sitting room hearth is brick and tile, topped by a mahogany mantelpiece. The adjacent TV stand has a brick facade but with a substantial mahogany, highly irregular shaped, top. Both were showing significant fault signs and needing replacement having been bespoke constructions designed and installed in 1985.
I learned of Andy Chapman’s bespoke woodwork business from a Google search and also found some internet newspaper extracts about his exceptional woodwork and finishing skills.
I phoned Andy and at his request, sent by email, a couple of pictures with approximate dimensions. Andy came to see us and gave us advice on woods and finish. We decided that the mantelpiece would be reproduced using sapele hardwood in a single piece, but due to the expanse of the tv stand/entertainment top, it would be better to use a first class veneer resulting in an identical finish to the mantel piece. Indeed, it would not be possible, in any case, to obtain a piece of hardwood the size of the tv stand top, and the top would have had to have been produced using about 4 pieces joined together. Perfectly possible, but we preferred the high quality veneered option.
Andy dismantled the existing set-up and took both pieces away to use as a pattern. About 10 days later he returned and installed the new mantelpiece and tv top. The finish and build quality are really superb. We would have no hesitation in using Andy’s services again although we have absolutely no doubt that the mantelpiece and tv stand top, will long outlast us.