This salvaged mid century linen box was destined for the tip or charity shop when I inherited it. Although it was a bit grubby and the material was worn it was generally in good condition so I decided it could have a use in our bathroom. We decided to make a couple of changes to […]
Marble Statue Repair
A customer in Wensleydale had an antique marble statue from which the limbs had become detached. I first cleaned all the broken ends and then with the use of supports and clamps re-attached the detached pieces with ivory coloured epoxy marble repair paste, also filling in minor cracks along the joint lines. I was then […]
Antique Mirror and Chairs Restoration
A customer and antiques collector in The Dales had a couple of items that needed minor restoration. A gilded mirror had some decorative pieces missing and otherwise needed a clean up. Two rustic chairs had various spindles come out of place and one had a loose leg and some damage to the back brace I […]
Ornamental Balustrade
A customer in The Dales had bought a dismantled ornamental stone feature which he wanted assembling in the garden. The first thing was to level and compact a small area between existing gravel and lawn areas to bed in the heavy stone base which had pre-drilled holes to receive metal pegs on the bottom of […]
Concrete Windowsill Rebuild
A mid century house had inset reinforced concrete windowsills. One of them had shattered due to the metal reinforcement rusting and expanding. The owner wanted it restoring to look like the original and the others remaining on the front of the house. The solution was to remove the rusty metal bar, knock back the remaining […]
Vintage Electric Clock
This project was the restoration of a family heirloom. This Smith Sectric Bakelite mains electric clock had been in use during all my living memory. It must date to pre 1941 because that’s when the brand name was changed to Smith Electric. So, after about 90 years constant use it finally stopped in September 2024! […]
Special Paint Finish
In a period house where a room with it’s previously dark beams been painted white the brief was to achieve a light coloured lime wash effect which made a feature of the natural wood grain. I did this using three complementary colours of chalk paint applied in thin overlaid washes. First a medium brown was […]
Upcycled Test Tube Rack
This 1970’s school lab test tube rack is brilliant for wild flower displays. Chive flowers resplendent here.
Charity Shop Rescue Chair Refurb
This scandi-style wicker chair was in a Richmond charity shop and in need of some TLC. Some of the rattan work was dried out and broken and had to be replaced with the new sections dyed to match the original colour. All the wicker work was given a rejuvenating coat of linseed oil. The frame […]
Garage Doors restored
This large garage in Thornton Steward has large old wooden doors that were jammed with seized hinges, paint peeling off and some rot at the bottom and in part of the frame. I secured the frame, replaced all four hinges, stripped the paint, repaired the rotten sections of the frame and doors and added a […]
Antique Restoration – Taxidermy Tank
One of my more unusual projects. An antique taxidermy case was grubby and in a bad way. The glass was held in place with bookbinding tape which had dried out and was peeling off. I removed all the old tape, cleaned up the outside woodwork, gave it a new coat of matt black paint and […]
Boxed In
This downstairs loo in a new build house had a compact wash basin with exposed plumbing beneath. The owners felt it looked untidy and wanted the pipe work boxing in. I created a tight fitting but movable free-standing box to go underneath from a simple timber frame clad with gloss white soffit board. The result, […]
Restoration – Vintage lamp
A collector in Richmond asked me to restore a cherished old English chalkware lamp These lamps were made between about 1955 and the mid sixties. This one is by a designer called Nieri working in Hulme, Manchester. It’s the last in a series of four designs he did which was registered in 1962. The brief […]
Cover Image
The banner illustration for this website was painted by my sister Felicia Laycock. The brief was to portray the ethos of the business, evoking friendliness, patience and attention to detail, hard work and the devotion to do a good job and always make an improvement.
The HIM Logo
I designed the logo myself to clearly express what the business is about, and to look friendly, modern and fresh. It’s intended to reflect practicality without being trade specific and also look professional and eye catching. That’s why I registered it as a trademark, to emphasise the professionalism and reliability of the service. Registering a […]
Minimalist shelving
These customers in Skeeby had renovated a mid-century house and were looking for some practical, minimalist storage in a compact dressing room. These floating shelves with a radius corner were the perfect solution. Made to measure from MDF and painted in a satin finish they provide easy access for clothes in the walk in wardrobe.
Fitting Kitchen Units
This customer in Richmond had bought an integrated fridge, an oak worktop and doors and base units which needed assembling and fitting into an uneven corner space Some skirting boards had to be removed and the worktop needed cutting by template to a bespoke size. The splashback boards also needed precision mitring because of the […]
New Bath Panel
The bath panel at this Richmond holiday rental was flimsy and damaged. Off the shelf panels are expensive and not always the best quality. My solution was to make a robust tailor made set of panel from soffit board set against a new timber sub frame. Because soffit board is intended for outdoor use it […]
Vintage Kitchen Upcycle
The owner of this vintage themed Richmond holiday cottage wanted a rustic look to the bespoke kitchen units. In order to have end panels which complemented the recycled solid wooden worktops she asked me to adapt an old pine cottage door to create two end panels for the worktop. The result was right on brief […]
Garden Bench Restoration
This garden bench had been neglected and all the seat slats needed replacing. I made new slats, all with smooth rounded edges and refitted them to the frame. Then the whole object was sanded, primed and repainted with outdoor grade paint. Good for many more years!
Wood and Recycling Store
This holiday rental property in Richmond needed a neat, functional and attractive place to store wood, bins and recycling in a compact garden courtyard. The brief was to build from scratch with available recycled materials to maximise the available space and be waterproof and strong enough to support planting on top. I made two strong […]
Tiled Splashback
These customers in Croft had purchased tiles to put in the alcove behind their range cooker. I tiled the area, adding a chrome edging strip and creating a border around the extractor fan using the same edging. Job done!
Summerhouse refurbished
This summerhouse had been a little neglected and the veranda boards were rotten. I removed all the bad boards and rebuilt the veranda with new treated timber. After a clean, sand and spot repairs on the building itself and a coat of Weathershield paint overall it’s good and strong for a good few years
Window frames repaired and painted
This period property in Constable Burton had good quality sash windows but one or two of them hadn’t been maintained and we’re starting to rot. I took out the rotten wood and replaced it with new timber. Where replacement wasn’t possible I raked out back to solid wood, treated with wood hardener and built back […]
Refreshed Kitchen unit
This 3 drawer unit in the kitchen of a Richmond rental property had two drawers falling off the runners and a missing handle. Rather than consign the whole kitchen to the tip in an expensive re-furb I fixed and cleaned the unit and found new handles for the three drawers that lived well with the […]

























