Create a sustainable home with these five natural timber products

If you’re designing a sustainable home, chances are you have a lot on your plate. While the industry has caught on to the importance of sustainable design, and environmentally friendly materials, products, and services are easier to access, many elements need to be considered to ensure a truly sustainable home. Of these considerations, material selection can be particularly complicated, with the product’s sourcing, transport, and end-of-life management all part of the purchase equation. So it’s no surprise that timber, a notoriously abundant renewable resource, is a popular choice for sustainable designs.

“Responsibly managed forests guarantee a continuous supply of timber without causing significant environmental harm. Sustainable forestry practices involve replanting trees and ensuring that the rate of harvesting doesn't exceed the rate of regrowth. This helps maintain a continuous supply of timber without negative environmental impact — indeed an advantage over products made from non-renewable resources like fossil fuels,” says Kerry Curtain of Auburn Woodturning.

What began as a small family business nearly 75 years ago, Auburn Woodturning is now one of Australia’s premier suppliers of custom timber products — and the pride and joy of owners Steve and Kerry Curtain who purchased the company in 1992. Their team of expert craftspeople work with the unique qualities of each timber species to create beautiful, one-of-a-kind pieces for the home.

While it’s typical to specify timber as a flooring, wall, or ceiling material, there are endless creative ways to use timber in the home. Hand-picked by Kerry, the following products are great alternatives to common hardware choices. 

Round timber door handles

Auburn Woodturning offers a wide range of round timber door handles that can be inset or mounted on internal, external, cabinet and cupboard doors. The door handles are available in several different timbers including pine, Victorian ash, American white oak, blackbutt, spotted gum, Merbau, blackwood, and walnut, with a raw finish for that natural look.

“Our Setto Round handle is a classic functional inset pull with a round face and flat rim. Designed to sit flush with the frame of your door or drawer, the handle ensures a secure grip for easy sliding and pulling. With its mid-century style, the Curved Half-Moon Timber Door Handle is the perfect mix of contemporary and vintage. It looks great mounted on the horizontal or vertical plane as half moons, or in pairs to create a full moon effect. It is also available in quarters, allowing for even more creativity with joinery and cabinets!” Kerry says.

Long timber door handles

The long timber door handles are another versatile way to incorporate wood fixtures into your home. Available in a range of styles, from those with internal grips to long versions of the Setto Round handle, long handles are ideal for every door. 

These handles can be made from the same selection of timbers as the round handles, as with every product made by Auburn Woodturning. 

“Our most popular timbers are Victorian ash, American white oak, and Australian hardwoods such as blackbutt and spotted gum. The mid-century timbers — teak, blackwood, and meranti — are great for interior products, like these door handles,” Kerry explains.

“Each timber board is assessed for its suitability for a job. For example, if we have an order for 12 door handles, we make them all from the same board to achieve the best possible continuity in grain, texture and colour.”

Timber furniture legs

Auburn Woodturning has a range of simple and traditional style furniture legs designed for new or restoration projects, all made to order. This is a great way to achieve continuity throughout your home or extend the life of old furniture. 

“Sizes range from large table legs to small chair legs, and all can be turned to match an existing piece of furniture such as an antique or a sentimental favourite that needs repairing,” Kerry says.

Heritage fretwork & verandah posts

If you’re renovating a Victorian, Colonial, Federation, or Edwardian villa or bungalow, you’ll likely need era-appropriate fretwork or verandah posts. Auburn Woodturning offers a standard range of heritage elements that includes everything from corner brackets and droppers to decorative reliefs and gable fretwork. If you can’t find the right piece, they will happily make a custom piece to match your home.

Curtain rod finials and accessories

As an alternative to metal curtain rods, Auburn Woodturning’s timber curtain accessories add a gorgeous, natural element to your windows. 

“We can make virtually any turned or square shape in curtain rod ends or finials. 

If you’re restoring a heritage room and need replacement or additional finials, brackets, or tiebacks , we can make these too. Like all of our products, they are made to order and supplied raw ready for sealing, staining or painting.”

Learn more about Auburn Woodturning.