Our Story
Our journey as a Kitchen Design Company began in 2011, when Tom, at just 22 years old, decided he was ready for a new challenge in life. By that time, he had already completed an apprenticeship and had spent 6 years making furniture at a prestigious cabinet making company, where he honed his skills crafting bespoke kitchens and furniture.
In addition to his formal training, Tom pursued his passion for traditional craftmanship through boat building. During the evenings and weekends, he fitted out a 57ft narrowboat to an exceptionally high specification, a project that took 2 and a half years to complete. When the right buyer came along for the boat, the timing felt right to take the next step into self-employment.
Tom initially built on his boat building experience, completing three more full narrowboat fit outs and installing numerous boat kitchens. Over time, the creative freedom of designing bespoke kitchens for people’s homes started to appeal.
With that vision in mind, Tom transformed a section of his large workshop into a dedicated showroom, featuring custom kitchens, utility room and handcrafted furniture. Some of our current kitchen ranges are inspired by the canals where Tom completed some of his earliest projects in boat building.
The name Monkeywood?
We’re often asked about our name and how the business came to be called Monkeywood. When Tom launched the business in 2011, he knew he didn’t want to name it after himself or use his initials. Instead, he wanted something memorable and something he could design a logo around.
During a round of brainstorming, he explored various tree species and came across the Monkey Puzzle tree. Known as the hardiest of the conifers and often called the ‘living fossil’ this unique and striking tree stands out from the crowd, much like the designs Tom aspired to create. And just like that, the rest is history…
So, a bit about the business today
Monkeywood is a truly bespoke kitchen and fine furniture company. An independent and design led business in North Oxfordshire with a highly qualified team. Our showroom features a diverse collection of kitchen displays, each showcasing the range of styles we can meticulously design and craft with creativity, precision and attention to detail.
Crafted from the finest timbers and materials, here in our Oxfordshire workshop we create furniture to last a lifetime. Best known for our kitchens, Monkeywood also designs and crafts furniture for all rooms of your home, including studies, utility rooms, dressing rooms, libraries, boot rooms and gun cabinets.
At Monkeywood, our ethos is one of building beautiful and timeless furniture along with strong and long lasting client relationships. Each kitchen is personally created for each individual client and no two are ever the same. We work closely with you to understand how you live in your home as a family, allowing us to design interiors that are not only beautifully made but also highly functional for everyday life. Uncompromising quality is at the heart of everything we do. We take pride in using only the finest materials, premium appliances, high grade worktops and proven construction methods to ensure exceptional results.