Derek Annand’s commute to work takes less than a minute, but each second of that journey provides more than enough creative inspiration to fuel his day. Derek lives and works within the impressive Carbeth Guthrie Estate in Blanefield, Scotland, surrounded by fields, hills and forests – an idyllic location for any craftsman and designer.
However, for Derek, the journey to get to where he is today was anything but swift and idyllic. In fact, his journey features as many knots, burrs, twists and turns as the wood he now transforms into things of beauty. It has taken Derek years to navigate his unique career path, with a life-changing accident threatening to end it all. But at last, he is content.
To truly understand what drives Derek, one need only step inside his workshop. Derek is the founder of Tabula Rasa Design, which specialises in bespoke, hand-crafted furniture, made from live-edge timber.
The Tabula Rasa Design workshop features a showstopping mezzanine level which stands proud, and as the lighting changes throughout the day it morphs from a whimsical treehouse, which exemplifies Derek’s free-spirited creativity, into an imposing cathedral-like structure where fallen trees are reincarnated.
Hailing from Glasgow, it was clear from a young age that he had an affinity with the artistic, a keen eye for design, and a stylistic flair. And so, at the age of just 16, Derek moved to Harrogate to embark upon a career as a hairdresser. However, an urge to see more of the world, live, learn and adventure meant he leapt at the chance to move to Spain to run a bar three years later.
His 20s were spent in the Spanish sun, but by the time he reached his 30s his desire to forge a more creative career path proved too hard to ignore, so he moved to London and enrolled in a course in natural stone-cutting. Painting, decorating and joinery projects followed, with ambitious commissions for commercial refits rolling in. However, a tragic accident meant that all this came to an abrupt end.
It was a sunny day in July 2008. Derek was hiking in the Campsie Fells when he spotted a teenager in difficulty. He jumped off a waterfall and subsequently saved the young man’s life but, in the process, Derek sadly sustained a series of life-changing injuries.
The road to recovery was long. He had to learn how to walk again, he underwent multiple surgeries, and at one point it was touch-and-go as an infection took hold. Derek returned to Scotland to recuperate, where it would take six years before he was fully fighting fit again.
It was during this time of convalescence that Derek came to realise just how important it is to do something you love with your life. And so, when his strength returned, he completed a course in upcycling, learning all there is to know about sanding, cutting, restoring and making furniture.
Finally, everything clicked. The skills he had honed throughout his varied career to date all came together, and he now had a clear vision of where he wanted his life to go.
In 2015 he moved to the village of Croftamie and renovated an old barn into a workshop. Tabula Rasa Design was born. Derek found his niche – his trademark designs feature individually hand-cut inlays and patchwork, using rare and exotic timber and metals. From intricate watch boxes to statement dining tables, each piece is a well-balanced blend of functionality and aesthetics.
Derek’s guiding philosophy throughout the whole design and manufacturing process is to allow the natural beauty of the wood to speak for itself.
First, he draws up an initial draft design, then he machines the components. Next, he does a trial assembly before modifying the design as necessary, and, only when he is completely happy, will he commence the final construction. Lastly, Derek dedicates a considerable amount of time and effort to getting the finest possible finish on the piece without compromising any of the wood’s intrinsic qualities.
As demand for Tabula Rasa Design pieces has increased over the years, so too has Derek’s workshop space. He quickly outgrew his Croftamie base, and so in 2018 moved to the Carbeth Guthrie Estate and began transforming a 6000sq ft warehouse into a workshop and showroom.
It is here, beneath the treehouse cathedral that Derek and his good friend painstakingly built by hand, that Derek now shares his knowledge and passion with others in a series of woodworking courses, open to amateurs and experts alike. Covering a variety of traditional and modern carpentry techniques, attendees leave with a completely bespoke wooden item and a wealth of new skills.
“Technical skills can be developed with practice and experience. But the key to great woodwork is passion, patience, and attention to detail,” says Derek. “It’s so important to start with the basics – for example, understanding which the most appropriate tool is for the task in hand, sharpening and setting them up correctly so that they do the job they were designed to do as efficiently as possible.”
Has Derek’s journey through life sharpened his skills and set him up to do the job he was designed to do? “Absolutely,” claims Derek. “For anyone else, it might look like my career path has been far from straightforward.
“But, without a doubt, all the training and experiences – both good and bad – over the years have helped me get to where I am today. My work at Tabula Rasa Design enables me to channel a wide range of practical skills into creating something functional and beautiful, and it gives me more job satisfaction – more life satisfaction, in fact – than anything I’ve done before.”
The Tabula Rasa Design workshop and showroom can be found at Carbeth Guthrie Estate, Blanefield, G63 9AT.
For more information about Tabula Rasa Design, to shop the pieces or book a place on a course, visit www.tabularasadesign.co.uk, email [email protected] or call 07895 784878.
