A family-run kitchen, furniture and interiors studio behind some of Scotland’s most iconic wood-based designs is celebrating four decades of craftsmanship and design as the business sets it sights on further long-term growth.
Paul Hodgkiss Designs was launched in 1986 and has evolved over four decades into a business recognised for its distinctive approach to design, craftsmanship and a focus on sustainability, quality and longevity.
Paul founded the business from a small workshop in Glasgow’s Southside – the base where he remains, alongside a team of 10 people. What started as a passion project has slowly evolved into an iconic brand known for sourcing sustainable wood of the highest quality from Scotland, with unmistakable, unique design language that has shaped the look and feel of some of the country’s most remarkable homes, bars and venues.
Over the last four decades, the company has been commissioned to work on bespoke projects for Scottish bars and hotels, including Edinburgh’s W Hotel, Bowmore Hotel, Monkey Bar, Bouzy Rouge, Café Antipasti, Bar Bola, Meat Bar and Palomino.
The reputation for distinctive, solid-wood craftsmanship and design has also carried the business into Scotland’s drinks industry, with commissions for distillers including Isle of Arran Distillers, Glenfiddich and Loch Lomond’s Luss Distillery and Ben Lomond Gin, alongside bespoke kitchens, staircases and architectural joinery for homes and businesses across the country and overseas.
One of the defining moments in the company’s story came in 2014, when Paul Hodgkiss and his team were chosen to design and hand-craft the 96 wooden medal podium sets for the XX Commonwealth Games in Glasgow, along with the medal trays and 1500 wooden quaichs presented to winning athletes. The commission put a Southside workshop’s craftsmanship in front of a worldwide television audience and cemented Paul Hodgkiss Designs’ status as a genuinely national name.
A more recent milestone came with the completion of the new Luss Distillery in 2025. Paul Hodgkiss Designs was commissioned to act as lead designer focused on a brief of ‘Scottish Contemporary’, ensuring the concepts maintained their original purity throughout the significant building project. The team designed the interiors and exteriors of the main distillery and discovery buildings, working collaboratively with award-winning experiential marketing agency Hot Pickle to maintain a consistent design language and managing a complex team of builders, architects and tradespeople.
The team experimented with techniques and materials using ancient structural materials and finishing methods with local timbers while creating innovative modern designs, including placing the gin’s brand into the structural designs, resulting in supporting timber frames with frameless glass walls and the now iconic Beacon windows. Within a few months of opening, the distillery was awarded a five-star quality grading by the Association of Visitor Attractions.
“The last four decades have been an exciting and amazing journey," says Paul Hodgkiss. "I’ve always loved the challenge of design, working with wood and other natural materials. Forty years on, I’ve witnessed some highs and lows, but thankfully mostly highs and I’m particularly proud that, in that time, we’ve welcomed 26 apprentices who have become the next generation of experts in wood design. To think I’d still be here, surrounded by a team of specialists blows me away. I’m incredibly proud to have remained loyal to the Southside of Glasgow and that’s rewarded me with such a talented team and loyal customers across the country that genuinely appreciates real craftsmanship, rather than the throwaway culture that is so present today.
“The bespoke projects have tested my skills and have involved real blood, sweat and tears, but I think I take the greatest pride in knowing that our kitchen and other interior wood-based designs have transformed the homes of our clients. There’s something quite humbling in knowing that you’ve played a small part in turning a house into a family home that will last for generations.”
