OldManAndMagpie
Announcement
Here at OM&M HQ we make simple handmade furniture and hand poured vegan friendly soy wax candles.
We use only sustainable & ethically sourced materials in all of my handmade items.
You can learn more about the way that we work by reading the ‘about’ section of this shop ↟
Announcement
Here at OM&M HQ we make simple handmade furniture and hand poured vegan friendly soy wax candles.
We use only sustainable & ethically sourced materials in all of my handmade items.
You can learn more about the way that we work by reading the ‘about’ section of this shop ↟
Items
Featured items
All Items
Reviews
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chris on 03 Aug, 2022
5 out of 5 starsAll good quality, looks lovely. Took a little longer than expected, got there in the end.
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Jenny on 01 Aug, 2022
4 out of 5 starsWe bought the table top and there was a slight issue in the beginning where there was a crack due to mishandling from the delivery company and not calling first to arrange delivery. Spoke to Garry about it and also let him know how the edges weren’t as seamless. He sorted the problem out and sent us a better looking table! We absolutely love our new dining table and how gorgeous it looks in our home. Thanks!
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Julia on 01 Jul, 2022
5 out of 5 starsAbsolutely lovely desk. Exactly as described and beautiful. A tiny delay in sending but customer service was top notch and for a hand made item of this quality a few days is nothing. Absolutely would buy again, in fact the other half is eying a slightly bigger version.
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Harriet on 14 Aug, 2022
5 out of 5 starsBeautiful candle, the smell is relaxing and not overpowering. So far burns really nicely.
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Helen Thomas on 13 Aug, 2022
5 out of 5 starsI love this vanity. Very well made and is going to make my bathroom very special. Seller was very accommodating delivering to suit when I was in and item was packaged well
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Chris on 03 Aug, 2022
5 out of 5 starsWe had a hiccup with the first table (damaged in transit). Garry was brilliant and arranged a replacement and collection of the damaged one. I cannot recommend them highly enough
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Gina on 11 Jul, 2022
5 out of 5 starsArrived quickly and packaged well. Lovely candle and burns well. Thank you.
Updates
About OldManAndMagpie
simple handmade reclaimed wood furniture & hand-poured natural soy wax candles↟
Old Man & Magpie was born at the same time as my first child.
I was a freelance sound engineer - working various venues in & around Manchester - but the late & long nights were not quite fitting in with my new parental responsibilities and I was looking for a slower, calmer life for my new family.
When my partner restarted her career I decided to quit mine and concentrate my time & energy on raising our daughter the best that I could.
After 6 months of frugality we knew that I would need to come up with a way of making a little extra money to pay for the simple things that we enjoyed & needed - as well as something to keep my hands & mind busy during the (few) hours that I had to myself.
I had spent a short time as a joiner in my early teenage years and so I decided to utilise those basic skills, as well as the empty and very small (8ft x 8ft) workshop space that was attached to our new home.
I went about creating some simple pieces of wooden furniture using a few timbers that I salvaged from a local demolition site; a toy box for my daughter (Magpie), a bookcase and a small TV Table for our home and some basic shelving for a neighbour.
I received some positive feedback from visitors and more people became interested in what I was doing.
I took that positivity and decided to build a couple 'one-off' pieces and to open an Etsy store as a way of reaching a wider audience and hopefully selling those patiently crafted items.
I only use ethically & sustainably sourced timbers in all of my work.
After nearly 7 years we now have a thriving furniture making business as well as a candle making studio.
The team of one has grown to a team of four.
Even though the business has grown we still treat every job like it was our first and pour our hearts in to every creation no matter how big or small.
Garry, Jemma and Magpie | OM&M ↟
Shop members
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Garry Thomas
Owner, Furniture Maker
Garry is the owner, creator, maker, designer, secretary, logistics manager, accountant and caretaker here at OM&M HQ. He thinks he has it tough but he really loves every minute of it ↟
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Jemma Taylor
Candle Maker
Jemma is the mother of Magpie and creator of our hand poured natural soy wax candles. She also runs our weekly Makers Market ↟
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John Cheetham
Maker
John is a time served carpenter of 40 years. He is chief maker and 'foreman' of the workshop. He is a skilled craftsman and a great teacher. No job is too big or small for John and I'm lucky to have him in the 'shop on a full time basis ↟
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Ian Lane
Maker
A woodwork enthusiast for the past 30 years. Ian is in charge of workshop maintenance as well as making and creating new designs. Another skilled all rounder with patience and enthusiasm ↟
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Gideon Marriot
Maker
Gideon is a green woodworking hobbyist but new to the world of furniture making. He initially came in as a helping hand to John & Ian but after a few weeks proved to be much more capable and now has his own bench here in the 'shop.
Shop policies
Accepted payment methods
Returns and exchanges
I don't accept returns, exchanges or cancellations
Returns and exchange details
Payment
Please ask for any alternative methods.
Delivery
Multiple pieces ordered simultaneously will require more time to build.
We are a very small team here in the workshop so illness or family emergencies can hinder our progress significantly. We ask for patience in there event of any short delay.
I'll always inform you of any delay but please understand that delays of up to a couple of weeks can, and sometimes do, happen.
Most of my pieces come with free shipping.
This is based on items going along my usual delivery route between Manchester and London.
Addresses that deviate too far from this route will incur a delivery surcharge to be discussed on order.
I do my best to personally deliver all of my furniture so as I can ensure the best care is taken with each & every piece.
If I'm unable to deliver your item all larger pieces will shipped via a trusted private courier who will blanket wrap & secure your item - this courier travels once every two weeks so this may cause a slight delay to your delivery.
Smaller items; such as window boxes, shelving and some smaller tables are shipped via TNT on a 'next day' service.
I welcome collections from my small workshop in Atherton, Lancashire.
Additional policies and FAQs
This is real wood and will act as real wood does - it will move over time, small cracks can appear, it will have knots, dents and other 'blemishes' and there may be inconsistent colour patterns within the timbers.
The timber can and will dry out if not maintained regularly with a recommended cleaner - I suggest OSMO SPRAY CLEANER or FIDDES SPRAY CLEANER a couple times a week. Simply spray and wipe!
Again, this is real wood.
All of my tables now come with a traditional breadboard end which helps keep the table flat and straight - this breadboard is designed to let the table shrink and swell with the seasons. The breadboard will remain to length and sometimes protrude from the table.
I recommend turning down the heating of any room the piece will live so as the timber can acclimatise to the new environment.
The heating should then be turned up slowly for the first 10 days.
Failure to prepare the room in this way may lead to warping, bowing or cracks in the timber ant a faster rate.
There may be differences in colour from piece to piece and from the examples shown.
This is impossible to avoid due to the nature of the materials used.
For example; an item ordered in March may be different in colour to a piece ordered in October.
I do welcome visitors to my workshop for limited periods of the year - so if you'd like to discuss a commission in person please get in touch.
More information
Frequently asked questions
Care instructions
MAINTAINING YOUR HANDMADE FURNITURE.
Your reclaimed wood is finished with a high grade & eco friendly hard wax-oil making it extremely tough.
This wax-oil takes 12 hours to dry but a couple weeks to fully 'cure' - extra care should be taken within this two week period.
For daily maintenance wipe with a damp lint-free cotton cloth.
For optimal results surfaces should be treated with OSMO SPRAY CLEANER.
If you have any questions about the continued care of your items, please don't hesitate to get in touch : hello@oldmanandmagpie.com