Matthew Keayes: Featured Maker of the Year entrant
An impressive whiskey cabinet with an original Don Bradman cricket bat centrepiece, handcut dovetailed drawers, curved doors and asymmetrical bottle supports – all of this in a "first piece" titled "The Don", now entered in Maker of the Year presented by Carbatec? We had to find out more about Matthew Keayes and his very fine woodworking.
The Don Whiskey Cabinet, designed and made by Matthew Keayes. Photo: Tobias Clifford
How was that magnificent whiskey cabinet your ‘first ever piece’? Where did you learn to make furniture like that?
I’ve been a carpenter for 10 years, and I’ve always really loved attention to detail and high-end finishes. I’m a very creative person and I always look for ways to express that with things that I make. When I was growing up I helped my mum restore antique furniture, and I’ve always had a dream to create custom furniture of my own.
The whiskey cabinet (the Don) was my first commission piece from a client, however before that I had the most important commission of building a bed frame for my wife for our third year anniversary (the Mac).
How did you come across Don Bradman’s cricket bat??
The clients I was quoting the whisky cabinet for, who were massive cricket enthusiasts, had a limited series cricket bat signed by Don Bradman hanging on the wall where they wanted to put the whiskey cabinet. They weren’t sure where they would put the bat once the whiskey cabinet was made. So I suggested that I incorporate the cricket bat into the whiskey cabinet design. I was a little nervous taking the bat out of its framed case, however it’s come up fantastic!
The Mac, a king bed made to celebrate Matthew Keayes and his wife's third anniversary. Photo: Tobias Clifford
You said the people at Carbatec helped you with your first tool purchases. What were the first things you bought?
I was lucky that as a carpenter I had many of the tools I needed…or so I thought… I started with the Carbatec TSC250P tablesaw, dust extractor, air filter and a linishing sander. Those tools were a really good start, and the collection slowly grew from there.
How long have you been in business as a custom maker now?
My apprentice and I finished building the workshop in December 2021 and built our first piece in January 2022, so that would make it about 8 months. It’s been awesome walking out the back door with a coffee and being able to take ten steps to get to work!
Back in the day, Matthew Keayes in carpenter mode.
What are your priorities as a woodworker, and when you make a piece for someone?
I want our pieces to be conversation pieces. I want people to look at them and know they are custom furniture, without even asking. I want our furniture to stand the test of time. I want it to capture their personality and their style. Why have furniture that’s boring? If it lives with you, you may as well love it.
Valentina console. Photo: Tobias Clifford
Looking at your work, there is a sense of how you favour and must love Australian native timbers – gum vein, feature and all…What are your favourite woods and why?
I love furniture that looks like it’s handmade and doesn’t look like it’s come out of a factory. Showing natural features like gum vein to me really highlights that it isn’t mass produced and that it’s real, raw and unique. I also think its important to use sustainable timbers that we can purchase locally to support other local businesses – we purchase all our timber through Matthews Timber. I love messmate because when you bookmatch messmate the patterns are awesome. Even though messmate is difficult to work with, I think the heavy features pay off.
The Samson office desk. Photo: Tobias Clifford
How do design your pieces…what sort of 3D rendering tools do you use?
If the piece is for a client, I like to see their house first and get a feel for their taste and style. And from there I usually sketch something on a piece of paper and brainstorm some ideas. After that I turn the sketch into a 3D render using Sketchup.
What’s your aim with your woodworking? What’s your ultimate woodworking goal?
My aim with my woodworking is to make furniture pieces that people want to keep forever and that can be passed down to their grandkids. Pieces that are unique to the client’s personality and style.
My goal is to have the freedom to create what I want to create and for people to trust me to make a statement piece for their home, and to have a reputation for making conversation pieces. But on a smaller scale, I just want myself and Brent (my apprentice) to enjoy what we do. I think if you enjoy what you do it comes across in the quality of your work. I always ask my apprentice if he can take pride in what he’s done, because if you can’t take pride in it, something is wrong!
See Matthew's Maker of the Year entries: The Don Whiskey Cabinet and Valentina Console
Learn more at ashbuiltcustoms.com.au and Instagram @ashbuiltcustoms
Enter Maker of the Year presented by Carbatec at www.woodreview.com.au/moty2022
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