In May 2019 Joanne received a phone call from a couple, Phil and Sarah, who were building a new home in a village near Wigan, Greater Manchester.
The British couple had lived in the United States for a number of years but wanted to build their forever home in the English countryside.
In May 2018 they purchased a plot of land, approx.. 1.5 acres, and together with their architect, Tom Smith, at Peter Dickinson Architects designed their future home.
Pete, now retired, became the project manager, over seeing the various tradesmen and subcontractors.
Initially, they were to use another oak company to manufacture and install an oak framed house, but they tabled a massive price increase for their part project.
Their plan was to move forward without them, but keep with Tom and the design but change the building method. Moving from an Oak Frame structure to masonry and steel structure.
Aesthetically the house was to look the same, but the main oak atrium would be made with cosmetic oak posts, beams and oak covers.
At the time of the initial email, the garage was under construction. Initially providing a kitchen, office, store etc. whilst the build progressed (see aerial photo below).
The house, already at DPC level, expected to be at roof height by the end of May, with first floor joists fitted 21st May onwards!
The new plans consisted of a Kitchen (with utility room off, and access to the garden)/ dining area/ living area, and Master bedroom suite on the lower floor.
When entering through the front porch, a staircase leads off to the upstairs bedrooms and study area and bathrooms.
At the back of the house a 2 storey oak atrium incorporates 3 sets of bi fold doors that lead onto the garden and sitting area outside from the dining area.
Their initial oak needs were:
- Front and side porches
- Rear window oak atrium above and around bi fold doors.
- A variety of beams and beam covers to encapsulate the steel.
- A number of cills for around the building.
The schedule was strict and the oak atrium planned for Mid August.
Phil and Sarah visited Richard at the showroom a week after their initial enquiry, and went through their requirements for the build.
Richard arranged quotations for the many oak component parts required for the oak atrium and the quotations accepted.
Many emails, telephone calls, and video meetings followed.
With the steel work installed, Phil requested a site visit
A productive site visit made by Richard and the Architect with Phil, in July, tied most loose ends up!
The first item delivered to site was the front porch, and this was installed whilst Phil and Sarah took a visit back to the States. On their return, the porch was the first thing they saw as they approached their new home to be. Thrilled with the progress they sent progress photo's to Oak By Design.
The front porch creates a majestic welcome to the home. Made from 190mm oak timbers, the porch sits on a solid Staffordshire Blue wall and is 3350mm wide and 1385mm deep and stands at 3700mm high. With a 40° pitch it is a beauty!
The various oak covers for the oak atrium went to site, slightly longer than required, where the joiners cut them on site to exactly cover the steel and softwood frame.
A large steel runs above the bi fold doors, supplying the strength required. Centrally, a vertical steel creates a 'king post' on the oak atrium. The rest of the 'truss' made from softwood and has been covered to create an oak atrium.
Everything delivered, the tradesmen on site completed the installation.
The couple moved into their new house in early November, 6 months after starting! They enjoyed Christmas with their family and even had a Christmas commissioned of their new home – featuring their fabulous new oak porch!
Sarah provided a review on Houzz (https://www.houzz.co.uk/pro/oakbydesign/oak-by-design) to say:
"We worked closely with Oak By Design on our new build house. They provided oak encapsulations for the interior, plus a large oak framed atrium, together with 2 magnificent oak porches for the exterior.
Can not rate this company high enough, not just for the quality of produce but for their excellent customer service from the start to the completion of the project".
Phil and Sarah visited Richard at the showroom a week after their initial enquiry, and went through their requirements for the build.
Richard arranged quotations for the many oak component parts required for the oak atrium and the quotations accepted.
Many emails, telephone calls, and video meetings followed.
With the steel work installed, Phil requested a site visit
A productive site visit made by Richard and the Architect with Phil, in July, tied most loose ends up!
The first item delivered to site was the front porch, and this was installed whilst Phil and Sarah took a visit back to the States. On their return, the porch was the first thing they saw as they approached their new home to be. Thrilled with the progress they sent progress photo's to Oak By Design.
The front porch creates a majestic welcome to the home. Made from 190mm oak timbers, the porch sits on a solid Staffordshire Blue wall and is 3350mm wide and 1385mm deep and stands at 3700mm high. With a 40° pitch it is a beauty!
The various oak covers for the oak atrium went to site, slightly longer than required, where the joiners cut them on site to exactly cover the steel and softwood frame.
A large steel runs above the bi fold doors, supplying the strength required. Centrally, a vertical steel creates a 'king post' on the oak atrium. The rest of the 'truss' made from softwood and has been covered to create an oak atrium.
Everything delivered, the tradesmen on site completed the installation.
The couple moved into their new house in early November, 6 months after starting! They enjoyed Christmas with their family and even had a Christmas card commissioned of their new home – featuring their fabulous new oak porch!
Sarah provided a review on Houzz to say:
"We worked closely with Oak By Design on our new build house. They provided oak encapsulations for the interior, plus a large oak framed atrium, together with 2 magnificent oak porches for the exterior.
Can not rate this company high enough, not just for the quality of produce but for their excellent customer service from the start to the completion of the project".
Telephone: 01423 593 794
Locksley Park
Blind Lane
Tockwith
YORK YO26 7QJ
Opening Times:
Mon to Fri - 9.00am to 5.00pm
Bank Holidays - Closed
Christmas 2024 - TBC
Oak By Design is the trading name of:
Penny Bricks & Timber Ltd.
Reg Number: 04384416
VAT Number: 664 8012 33
Left us a
star reviewWe ordered two bespoke doors and two bespoke porches for our house build from Joanne at OByD. We were specifically delighted with Joanne's attention to detail (and patience! lol) making the overall customer experience excellent. The product was equally fantastic, the product quality was truly beyond our expectations. Joanne is super helpful and knowledgeable, and kept my spirits up throughout our project. We would 100% recommend OByD, and specifically Joanne, for all your standard and bespoke oak requirements. H&D
Oak by Design have made 2 oak framed rooms for us, sunroom at the front and and "moonroom" (photo) at the back which encompasses a shower room, work area and storage. They have been helpful at every stage and the outcome is simply brilliant. They make the whole house feel roomier and brighter and are beautiful places to be. GE North Yorkshire
A fabulous service and supportive through the design and delivery process. Highly recommended
Oak by Design were extremely helpful at all stages of my project from helping and advising me to choose the most appropriate beam through to advice on fixing the beam. They were extremely patient with changes to my beam dimension requirements finally providing a solution to suit my project. They provided photographs on completion of the beam prior to dispatch to ensure that my requirements had been met. I was extremely impressed by the quality and finish of the beam which has become the focal point for my fireplace project. Oak by Design provided customer care of the highest quality and I would highly recommend their services.
Found Oak by Design searching for a new front porch to replace a canopy and knew immediately that this was company for the job and I was not disappointed. I already knew what I wanted and Richard, very patiently, developed my basic requirements, with a number of iterations, into a full detailed design. As I live outside their site working area I decided go for supply only and to install the porch myself. It was delivered as promised and it looked great even on the pallet! It took me a while to fit but it was very satisfying and the result is fantastic. The quality of the aged oak and carpentry of the timbers is excellent. I’m delighted with the porch supplied by Oak by Design - it looks superb.
Very impressed with Oak By Design. Customer service is fantastic and they were very patient in helping me ensure what I needed was the right size. Photos sent of oak cover before it was sent to me and end product was great. It was also not the most expensive either. Would definitely recommend.
From the start of our enquiry, the service provided was excellent. Joanne was a great help and the oak porch structure looks fantastic on our new build. It completely changed the look of the house. Very quick delivery could not recommend enough.
We decided to get an oak porch to make our home more attractive and we are so glad we did as it really is beautiful ! Joanne and the Team have been professional, friendly and just a pleasure to deal with ! Thank you so much !!
Having lived with our porch for over 2 years I can honestly say it’s the best addition to our house we ever made. Not only does it look fantastic the quality is outstanding. I love that it keeps the mud out of the hall and provides a seating area to remove muddy boots.
I first used Oak by Design in 2021 for a oak porch, I used them again 2023 for an oak pergola. Both times my clients have been Delighted with the finished product. Both times the product was delivered when stated, everything i needed was on the delivery. Oak by design listened to what I required for both jobs. The quality of the oak is excellent, all joints fit correctly & if I had a problem I only had to ring and speak to them. R Brown Carpentry always recommends Oak by Design when asked about oak structures.
We are delighted with our porch, from Oak by Design. Not only is the porch of excellent quality and finish but their customer service could not have been better. They bent over backwards to make sure that we were happy with the porch and I would happily recommend them to anyone.
I was sourcing an oak RSJ cover (circa 5m length) for my extension and found Oak by Design on the internet. All of the reviews I could were glowing and so I contacted them......And I'm so glad that I did. Joanne Fisher answered my initial call and she looked after my order from beginning to end - in terms of ensuring that I got exactly what I wanted she/they provided a superb service - everything on time - delivery in to the Peak District to suit when I wanted. The quality of the the RSJ cover is fantastic thick solid oak that matches my oak floor - looks amazing. If you want anything oak I can thoroughly recommend Oak By Design.
Great personal service to ensure we got what we needed specific to our personal requirements. Quality is outstanding and there was a helping hand there all the way. The porch we ended up with was not cheap but having looked at others the quality of the Oak by design product shines through. Very pleased with the result and the complements from both neighbours and our builders keep coming.
We purchased some engineered oak flooring and oak covers from Oak By Design and couldn't be happier with the finish and quality. They are spot on. Joanne was extremely helpful throughout the whole process and provided plenty of advice when necessary. Thank you
From the initial quotation right through to the delivery and after service Joanne has been brilliant and given me an excellent product. I have just ordered another porch for another project from them and I will continue to do so for future projects . Thomas and Bell Building Contractors Ltd
Ordered an oak mantle beam from Oak by Design and they quickly called to check the finer details. Unfortunatly, the beam was slightly damaged on arrival by the courier company. Oak by Design immediately arranged to have it picked by DHL, transferred back to Yorkshire from Kent, repaired and sent back within 2 days, with no quibbles. The beam is beautiful, as is the high quality customer service by these people. Fully recommend using this company. Anthony Slater, Tonbridge. Tonbridge.
We worked with Jamie from Oak By Design on a super project near Wetherby. There was plenty of oak in this design for the team to really show their worth - and they did. The attention to detail was excellent. If anything was not quite how the client wanted it, they were straight back to attend to this. The customer care was superb. We look forward to working with Oak By Design on another project soon.
Really delighted with the new porch by Oak by Design. It adds a super feature to my converted barn. Thanks to Joanne and the team.
Great company, always on the end of the phone to talk through design, measurements, fitting. The Oak is very high standard, looks amazing.
Exceptional service and beautiful flooring. Absolutely delighted with every aspect. Went above and beyond great customer service to meet our needs and timescales.
First class service and product . Our car port and steps look fantastic and blends in with the existing buildings beautifully. Would definitely recommend them.
Working with Oak By Design on our project was a pleasure and we were delighted with the results. Joanne was extremely helpful, quick to answer any questions and generally a great person to deal with! The quality and finish of the products - RSJ covers and Oak Windows & Doors were superb and look great. Would highly recommend working with Oak By Design and would not hesitate to use their services again for future projects!
Great service from start to finish, Joanne was great help. Designs were spot on and so happy with the porch. 10/10. Fully recommend.
We were delighted with our new porch. Right from our initial contact with Joanne at ObD, through the design and the installation by Jack and his team the service has been excellent. We would have no hesitation in recommending ObD and Jack to anyone thinking of a high quality oak porch. Thank you to all involved.
From the beginning the customer service has been superb, excellent help and advice when choosing the flooring, delivery arriving when promised and a product which is extremely high quality. We have replaced the majority of our flooring downstairs and we are so pleased with the result that we would have paid more. Fantastic.
Excellent customer service. Very friendly. Explained in detail. Product is beautiful. Would recommend. Company sent photos of finished product prior to dispatch to confirm our happiness with their work.
On behalf of John Docherty: Oak By Design were a great company to deal with; helpful, knowledgeable, professional. The quality of the oak supplied to us for our bespoke porch was first class. Nothing was too much trouble for this company, and we will definitely be using this wonderful company again in 2022.
Fantastic staff with fantastic craftsmanship. Great communication and always on the ball. I would highly recommend oak by design, I don’t think you could get a better quality oak porch anywhere. Extremely pleased with ours , always getting compliments from fellow villagers
We got a fantastic garden structure from Oak by Design. It is a very handsome building and the design process was very patient, to say the least. We didn’t really know what we wanted, so we had to be guided through it. And we are delighted.
Amazing customer service from beginning to end . My builder was in awe at the quality of the oak porch components. Call them and ask for Joanne - what she doesn’t know isn’t worth knowing! It’s not every day you invest in a “proper” porch so do it right. You’ll definitely be delighted!
Fantastic service from start to finish, I would have no hesitation in recommending this company or using them again. Very professional and helpful. Joanne was great in assisting us with choosing both styles and colours of the beams and cladding.
My wife and I recently purchased an oak porch from Oak By Design. We are delighted with the porch and it has been much admired. We did get some help assembling it but everything fitted together perfectly.
A great company to deal with. Professional from start to finish and always there to assist with any queries. Highly recommended.
Great service by a friendly professional team, a pleasure to work with. The end result of our oak glazed leisure spa and outdoor kitchen looks fantastic. Great job
Posting on behalf of my Mother in Law, Shirley Abbott "Having planned to shop around, Oak By Design was my first stop. I had no need to look any further. Joanne patiently and professionally guiding me through the confusion of choosing the right flooring. The service and support from the staff was exceptional, efficient and helpful. And - my floor looks amazing!"
What can I say, Oak By Design have been the most fantastic company to deal with. Joanne was so helpful, friendly and professional. She really seemed to care about our project, which made such a difference. We had 4 oak RSJ covers made and 2 fireplace mantles. The finish is outstanding. Everyone believes they are solid beams, which was just what we wanted. The care and attention this company will give you is 2nd to none and I would highly recommend them. Pictures will follow when we complete our project, thanks again Oak By Design. x
As the owner of a local joinery business, Robert Davis Joinery, I have had the pleasure of using Oak by Design on several occasions over the last 8 years. They have produced bespoke interior products for me including Oak doors and timber moldings. The staff in the office and the workshop are always very helpful and friendly and the standard of the workmanship and materials are always of a very high quality.
Excellent quality workmanship and materials. Very easy and friendly to deal with on the phone. Everything done on time and no problems at all. Will definitely use again next time I need an oak porch or any other oak structures.
We were looking to have a bespoke oak and glass atrium for the front of our new house renovation. We wanted to find a company we trusted, who clearly understood our brief and could manufacture and install a high quality product at a competitive price. A big ask, but OakByDesign ticked all our boxes. Jamie and the team from the initial discovery meeting to completion of the installation were fantastic. The design, material quality and installation were first class and I would highly recommend you to include them within your project plans. Thank you all. Ben and Lindsay.
We are ‘over the moon’ with our beautiful oak porch made by Oakbydesign .From our initial enquiry to delivery and installation the service and attention to detail has been outstanding! A very big thank you to Joanne who was so helpful and friendly from start to finish which made the whole process such a pleasure. Highly recommend anyone looking for an oak porch to choose Oakbydesign . Yvonne Grant.
Amazing craftsmanship from this company. The customer service from Joanne was superb. My questions and indecisiveness were never an issue and she was always on hand to offer advice and find the answers to my questions. Our oak porch has transformed the house and we are over thd moon with it. Would highly recommend Oak By Design. Joanne is an asset to the sales and promotion of this company and is very knowledgeable. Would give 10 stars if I could!
Spectacular service from start to finish! great design work and support from concept to installation. The builders were amazing! So pleased with the outcome! Thankyou so so much !
My client was looking for ways in which to make his conversion (of an early seventies house into a period family farmhouse) “stand out from the crowd”. whilst maintaining a commercial eye on his expenditure, as the house was being converted for resale profit. Making the choice to meet with Richard and explore possibilities for incorporating some Real solid Oak features into his plans proved to be the making of the project. By taking lots of advice from Richard on both the size and structure of the components we were able to incorporate three key features. The beautiful and bold roof trusses and purlins for the open plan kitchen are simply a joy to behold. The stunning full height gable window which is directly glazed into the large framework can be appreciated from both the the kerbside and of course from within the cosy snug on the ground floor or the amazing first floor main bedroom where we incorporated some additional exposed roof beams just purely for effect. All in all it is fair to say that these significant choices certainly created the wow factor my client was looking for. Having managed to pre sell the property well before completion it in itself demonstrates the benefits of keeping these sorts of real oak features as part of a modern build. I have no hesitation whatsoever is saying that if anyone is looking to get advice and is serious about investing in quality oak products they should have no need to look further than Oak by Design. Thanks again Richard for all your help , guidance and continued support which is a credit to you and the craftsmen you employ.
Oak by design provided our engineered oak flooring. From our initial meeting and supply of samples to the final delivery we have been provided with excellent service. Carl has been in touch throughout the process and provided updates about the lead time and expected delivery dates. We are delighted with the flooring. Very happy to recommend Oak by design.
Four years ago we took the decision to completely gut an old farmhouse and start again with it, we started looking for a supplier of oak to refit all of the internal doors, door casings, skirting and flooring. Our carpenter recommended Oak By Design. He wasn't wrong! All of the oak has been completely top notch. As the old house has settled into it's new skin it has moved and cracked in various places, the only thing that has been stable and unwavering is the oak. The customer service has been superb, with them continuing to supply exactly the same items, with the same quality over the course of 4 years. They even indulged our designs for furniture for our "boot room", with Shoe pigeon holes and a bench which we could store wellies under (as pictured). The doors supplied by them are reassuringly heavy and sturdy, with a proper "thunk" as you close them, cutting off sound from the rest of the house. There may be other, cheaper suppliers of oak out there, but none with the same level of quality, longevity and customer service as Oak By Design. If you want to do it right (& once!) use these guys.