Ewan Buxton Joinery Ltd

23/12/2025

01/12/2025

A CONTAINER PAINTING STUDIO.

I've worked on a few containers, they're such a strong, versatile space.
When these clients bought their house there was a blue shipping container in the garden, shelved inside for storage. It became apparent this would be perfect as a painting studio with a storage space left at the back . I was sent an image simulating how they'd roughly like it (great working for a graphic designer!) and I got to work making it. Insulated throughout so it can be used in comfort all year with minimal heating and well protected from the summer heat. The French doors are a high quality timber set with excellent double glazing and seals. John, a handyman and one half of this couple will finish off the Anthracite painting once weather allows, while Cathy will get busy accessorising her painting studio while appreciating the view over the valley. I can't wait to see this space being enjoyed and the creativity flow. Enjoy!

www.cathyhaworth.com
www.fletcherthehandyman.co.uk

27/11/2025

NEXT PROJECT BEGINS: A MAKAR HOME, APARTMENT & WORKSHOP

This will be the 2nd Makar home I've worked on, I loved the last one! Once this highly insulated pre manufactured kit is erected, wind and watertight, I come in and make this house a home by building the interior. I'll try to continue the very high level of care and craftsmanship they have given to this project so far.

I believe Makar is a company whose ethos is exemplary, from the material sourcing to the construction methods, they are striving to give the best product to their client with the least environmental impact on the world.

I look forward to working with my clients to give them their dream house.

21/11/2025

PART 2 - MAKING THE OLD POST OFFICE

Returning from our Christmas hols it was snowy, Gus Richards and Kevin Gray were helping so we got on with prepping the fascia and soffits in the workshop and insulating the walls in the building. The snow was short lived and we got the windows and doors installed, exciting as it totally changed the building and gave us natural light within. We then made and installed the timber chimney stack and installed the Velux windows. Donside Slating made a beautiful job of using the original slates and doing some quality lead details, we now have a finished roof! Insulating between the rafters could happen now, I'm a stickler for perfect fitting insulation, otherwise, it doesn't work (there will be a post on this!)! After all insulation between rafters and studs is installed there's insulation over all studs and rafters to reduce cold bridging. We then have to strap out a service space everywhere giving space for cables and pipes and giving something to screw plasterboard to. This is fairly standard practice currently, it's so much labour to do it well, I have my opinions on it. After Graham MacPherson Electrical installed their cables and Robert Taylor Plumbing installed their pipes we plasterboarded throughout again totally changing the look it's now a proper room! The end was zooming in, the wine glass effect. Colin Shelley taped the building and once I'd completed the finishings and quarter sawn oak window sills, he could paint it out. Wm Sellars Builders built the blocks, installed the chimney cap and pots, and once weather permitted wet harled the house in a bright white. We finished this project in April 2025, I was proud to run it and thanks to all that helped complete it.

21/11/2025

THE NEW, OLD POST OFFICE CARRBRIDGE - HERE TO STAY.

Not exactly a conservation project as a new build was necessary, but built with every effort to conserve the details and character of the original building. Please look at the before and after photo's. It's been a great compliment that many Carrbridge residents have complimented the build and see it as the same building. That was always really important to the owners and myself. It's a small, but significant building, right in the heart of Carrbridge.
The exterior replicates the old, but the interior is it's own new space, open, high and bright. A practical space again, as the workshop for Loch Ness Leather

24/04/2025

OLD POST OFFICE, CARRBRIDGE - DERELICT FOR OVER 50 YEARS ON THE MAIN STREET!

This project is nearly complete and I can't wait to show you the finished results, but here's how it started. There was several years of planning and deciding what exactly would be done here, in the end it makes me very happy to have worked on this project. It's going to be a leather workshop for Loch Ness Leather who live on the adjoining property with their young family. It's going to improve the village of Carrbridge by replacing a derelict and dilapidated property, only one house from our famous bridge! The project has been very proactive in replacing the building with a modern, highly insulated, open plan structure inside but retaining as much of the original, detailed features externally as possible albeit on a new building.

The building was demolished and a new foundation and slab made by W J Sellars Builders was constructed. I started in late August 24 working out what height eaves, ridge and walls needed to be to be in line with previous heights and work with new lintel heights and spacings. The kit was made on site and by Sept I had the 10.5m long 185 x585mm glulam beam in place the backbone of the building that the double birds mouthed hand cut rafters hung off and met the new ridge at 45deg. It was a fun roof to work out and make.

As Christmas approached, I wanted to be watertight, but we still had to join to the main building. There were 4 adjoining roofs of different ages, some built on top of one another and with varying levels of rot. After some careful work dealing with lived in rooms below we ended up with a lovely straight ridge, strong valleys, well cut jack rafters and a wider more practical trough gutter to take away the water from 3 roofs. From a joinery perspective it was extensive, tricky and fun! Christmas came and we were watertight, we could relax with our families for a couple of weeks, and after a rest look forward to getting back!

To this point thanks to Kevin, Ben, Terry, Gus, Stephen, David, Billy and Team, MKM Aviemore and definitely Will & Heather for being great clients.

Ewan Buxton Joinery Ltd

13/02/2025

OUT FOR LUNCH! WHAT A SPOT.

Out taking some sizes for other projects, so tied it in with having lunch in a stunning location. 😎

07/09/2024

A brilliant day at Logie Timber , Logie Timber Festival .

A great local festival looking at many aspects of timber from harvesting to associated uses and crafts, and the environment that surrounds us. Really broad, interesting exhibitors showing their materials and techniques for sustainable building. Fantastic fun activities for children with green woodworking, willow weaving, wildlife knowledge and many more. (Aaron Sterritt Woodwork, Will Hall Wildlife)
Great music and a vast array of local food and drink to be had.

Would have loved to stay longer to chat and learn some more perhaps over a Black Isle Brewery beer, but still managed a superb hog roast roll.

It's on tomorrow aswell....

Thanks for a great, informative, fun day Logie.

31/07/2024

BOTHY DECK & OUTDOOR SPACE

About 5 years ago the client and I started thinking where to put an outdoor eating/socialising/enjoyment space, it evolved to be here. Using the constraints of the existing Bialy seating (the smaller one) and the ANTA Bothy I came up with this design. This is the perfect spot as it is private from the main house but enjoys Westerly views to the loch though the beauty of the birch and beech trees. The design is a mix of curves and straight lines, like the main house. I tried to mimic the lie of the land, leading your eyes through to the loch. There is a large 3 generation family that will be enjoying this space, but I hope it can be intimate and peaceful for 2 as successfully, as it can host a party for 20. With several seating areas from sitting on the deck swinging your feet having a coffee, to sitting round a dining table enjoying a bbq dinner, to the 8m curved dry stone seating where you can place another log on the firepit and toast some marshmallows. There's a lot of fun to be had.

I loved seeing the cosy effect the lighting gave and the way it lit up the leaves on the trees. It was just how I'd imagined it but until I took these photo's at 10:30 at night I hadn't seen the effect! The pic of the dining table and the trees lit up is how I imagined it, what a great place to have dinner and then chatting, drinking and laughing in to the evening! The lighting is on 3 circuits, main lighting under the roofs, deck lighting and garden lighting. All can be switched independently and the main lighting can be switched near the house or in the bothy (which can sleep 4).

The main materials used are intentionally all local. Douglas Fir for decking and post and beam work. Building stone from a previous project in Carrbridge. Caithness Slabs repurposed from a Findhorn Farmhouse. General building materials from MKM Aviemore. I'll do another post looking more specifically at the making, the design choices, the suppliers and the skilled folk that helped me achieve this.

Hope you enjoy the pics. It was a project that took a lot of effort but one I'm super proud of.

A wee list of those that helped:
Kevin Gray Joiner, Arran Harrower Joiner, Robbie MacBean Electrician, A & D Garden Services Ltd, MKM Building Supplies - Aviemore, Logie Timber, Russwood, Collingwood Lighting Ltd, Craig Fraser Dry Stone, Highland Industrial Supplies, ANTA Scotland, Nigel Bialy, GF Job, A Mackenzie.

25/05/2024

New trailer day! New plant trailer to safely transport our mini digger. Thanks to D R Alexander and Son for their swift delivery and great service.

18/01/2024

SECONDARY GLAZING TO PROTECT A 2.8 X 1.2M VICTORIAN STAINED GLASS WINDOW.

Another enjoyable and testing project. The main objective was to protect the original window, minimising maintenance whilst not compromising the sightlines and the beauty of the window from the inside.

I designed and made my solution again from Accoya for it's stable, rot resistant properties that will prolong the life of the paint finish. It's around 5m from the ground with obstacles beneath so the less maintenance needed the better. I used low-E argon filled double glazed units 24mm thick, that will have greatly improved the insulative value of the window. I've hopefully left a design with better water shedding than previous, incorporating sill areas with better overhangs and anti capillary grooves.

It was tricky doing this project late in the year and I had to pause for the weather a couple of times. It was great to complete it just before Christmas and be happy with the end result knowing that the beautiful stained glass with be enjoyed for many more years.