oakbydesign
01423 593 794
Emma Thornton, and her husband, Pete, had lived in their pretty stone-built detached house for a number of years when they approached Oak By Design in October. They wanted a lean to oak porch for the front of their home. They wanted the porch “to ‘re-focus’ the entrance towards the centre of the house, rather than how it currently looks with a lot of space to the left of the door”.
This can be seen on the ‘Before’ photos at the bottom of this article.
Joanne provided a generic sketch showing the measurements required for a quotation to be provided. After measuring the space outside the house, and placing planters where they thought the corners of the porch should be, they knew what they wanted!
Emma thought it wanted to be about 3 metres long and 1.5 metres deep. They estimated a 75 cm high dwarf wall.
She wasn’t sure whether she wanted a hipped roof oak porch or a lean to oak porch, so Joanne provided an initial sketch of both options, at these measurements. Emma and Pete were sent the sketch to have a look at.
Due to the sizes, the hipped roof provided quite a steep pitch with no ridge along the top. Both the couple, and Joanne, thought the Oak lean to porch option was a much more aesthetically pleasing design for the house.
By keeping the house entrance door to the far right of the porch, this centres the porch on the house, providing the central focus they wanted.
The only change they required was to add oak boards to each end of the roof, in the mono trusses (the triangular areas).
Joanne provided a quotation for the Supply Only of the oak lean to porch. She also sent them photos of optional oak tongue and grooved boards for the underside of the roof, and also a photo of a non-boarded roof.
The couple were happy to accept the quotation, at the end of October, but needed to apply for Planning Permission as the porch side didn’t fall under Permitted Developments.
They had contacted their local council planning department, and then spoke to an architect to provide the appropriate paperwork for their application. Their application was sent in November. This included existing elevation views and proposed elevation views.
The couple paid a 10% deposit to reserve the manufacturing time for February the following year. (We would have provided a full refund would have been made if their application hadn’t been successful).
The couple thought they had secured a builder they had used before, but when their planning application was approved in the early part of the following year, they contacted him. Unfortunately, he was having family issues which meant he couldn’t now commit to the project.
Joanne had rung Emma to see how thing were progressing, and she explained their predicament. They had the Planning Permission in place, but no builder to build the walls and install and roof the porch.
She recommended Jack Stout a York based builder who has installed many oak porches.
Although busy, Jack managed to visit the couple and he arranged a quotation for the work, which they accepted.
When Joanne spoke to Emma in April, after she’d spoken to Jack, she said “It feels like it actually might happen now!”.
Jack returned to build the stone walls (to match the existing random stone of the house), and then provided Oak By Design with the exact measurements. He also requested some kiln dried oak fascia’s/covers which would be used to cover the area around the sides and top of the door. There had previously been a uPVC surround to match the glazed door that had previously been on the house before the couple changed it for a pastel green door which is much more in keeping with the house.
A revised drawing was provided and approved by both Emma and Jack and then the porch went into production.
Emma chose to have the Osmo Protection Oil in 429 (Natural) for the 2 coats which we apply to the oak porch prior to sending to site. She also opted for the solid oak tongue and groove boards for the underside of the porch roof – again, oiled with the oil.
The porch was complete at the beginning of July. Joanne sent Emma a couple of photos to keep her spirits up and delivery was arranged for the end of the month.
Within a couple of days of delivery, Jack and his team had the porch installed , the oak boarding in-situ and the roof on. Joanne emailed Emma to ensure she was happy with everything after waiting so long!
She said “Yes the porch is absolutely fantastic, even better than I’d imagined and definitely worth the wait!”
She also replied with a number of photo’s of the porch that bshe taken both before, and during the build.
She said “I really enjoyed looking at the case studies on the Oak By Design website, to see how the work progresses, so hopefully these will do the same for others.”
They also provided a google review:
“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.”
We are so pleased that the family finally got the porch they wanted, and which they knew would change the front of their home for the better.
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 2025- TBC
Oak By Design is the trading name of:
Oak By Design Ltd.
Reg Number: 04384416
VAT Number: 664 8012 33
Left us a star review
A fabulous service and supportive through the design and delivery process. Highly recommended
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
We worked with the team who designed a wonderful porch for our house near Harrogate. It has been an amazing addition. Simple but effective - excellent craftsmanship using authentic materials. We are absolutely delighted with the transformation and everyone who sees the porch says how great it looks. Thanks to all the team at Oak By Design.
Superb! Fantastic! I can’t recommend enough. If you want gorgeous oak use this company. Oak by design made a porch for us and we couldn’t be more happier with it! It’s beautiful! The quality is first rate. Throughout the build Jo kept us informed as to the process of having the oak cut to size and installed. Jo and the team even sent us a lovely oak chopping board! Jack and his team who built it are fabulous! They go the extra mile. We have decided to use oak by design for a kitchen extension project in the future. Thank you oak by design for giving me a gorgeous porch! Charlie x
A first rate service from start to finish. We've used this company in the past for our floor - 40 foot of solid oak! 2 beams and 2 RSJ covers. This time a beam for our new kitchen inglenook and another RSJ cover. More than impressed with the products which more than met our spec. A very friendly and helpful team who I'd recommend to anyone.
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.
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.
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.
I could not recommend Oak By Design more highly. Joanne and the team worked tirelessly to resolve an issue that was the result of my mistake when I ordered the porch. Great customer service.
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.
My company has ordered 2 porches with Joanne from oak by design, and have more planned in the future. They've been brilliant from start to finnish. Great communication right through. And the quality of the product is exceptional. Do not hesitate to order.
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.
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!
Thank you Jo for your assistance and detailed guide every step of the way with my new porch. Very pleased with the finished product, I would highly recommend Jack and his team for installation
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.
Outstanding customer service from a company that truly cares. I’ve only dealt with a small amount of companies where buying experience totally outstrips the monetary value & this is one of them.
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!"
Fantastic service and quality of product. I couldn’t be happier with my Oak porch, which was designed to my specification with the minimum of fuss. Joanne was so helpful and nothing was too much trouble. Incredibly well engineered and looks fantastic. Thank you so much.
Great service from start to finish, Joanne was great help. Designs were spot on and so happy with the porch. 10/10. Fully recommend.
On behalf of Shears PHG Our customer was looking at having an oak porch built for their property in the West Midlands we got in contact with Joanne at Oak by Design and she was really helpful, always friendly on the phone and polite nothing was too much trouble. Joanne kept us up to date through every stage and our customer is really pleased with the results of the Porch it looks great and we wouldn’t hesitate to use them again in the future
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.
Oak by design were a fantastic company to deal with. They made us some treads for a bespoke stair case from large pieces of air dried oak. They were very thorough in making sure that they understood exactly what we wanted. They made excellent suggestions for small changes to our own design in order to produce a better finished product and to manage the cost. We were very happy with the treads when they were delivered. They look fantastic and fitted perfectly to the steel frame which was made by a third party. I could not recommend them more highly.
Firstly, the product quality was superb, a beautiful oak mantle piece for my fire place, gorgeous. The installation was quick, efficient and fitter very friendly. The price was very reasonable, actually very good value. But what makes it all SIX STAR, ( but we I can only give 5!), was the customer service. When walking in the shop I was perfectly attended to, I was given samples to take home and they remembered to call soma days later to see what I thought. Order to install time was very fast for such a bespoke service. My experience was world class, great to deal with a brilliant local/small business, I totally recommend.
First class service and product . Our car port and steps look fantastic and blends in with the existing buildings beautifully. Would definitely recommend them.
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.
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 !
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.
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.
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.
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
I wish I could give more starts!! We looked at many companies before finally choosing Oak by Design. We are so glad we chose them. They were excellent from start to finish. They worked with us to find a workable design that was to our liking. Our door looks amazing (despite the building site that still surrounds it!). Their customer service is of the highest standard, Joanne could not do enough to help us. I would not hesitate to recommend them.
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.
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.
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.
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
When embarking on a large renovation project assembling the right team of skilled work people is vital. It involves the need for skill, imagination and trust. It was important to us to use a local company and Oak by Design seemed to tick the right boxes although we had not dealt with them or indeed heard of them before. We soon came to realise that the combination of Ben, Billy, Jamie, Matt and MIck ( listed strictly in alphabetical order ) was a great success. Skilled: highly, imaginative: an excellent creative talent, trustworthy: 100% but also such great team players that all the other trades on site benefitted from their cooperation and great good humour. I would endorse the other reviewers who have commented on the quality of the materials used, whether in the replacement windows, the light oak internal doors. the fantastic oak staircase, the secret bookcase and the pièce de résistance: the oak conservatory. It has been a great project and much of that I attribute to the work of Oak by Design. A big thank you to you all.
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
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!
I firstly used oak by design a couple of years ago for an open oak porch. They were extremely helpful and everything was delivered on time to the highest quality. The porch went together with the oak dowels provided and looked great when it was all slated in. They have also supplied me with a oak beam for a fireplace natural random finish and it looks good.
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
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 !!
Exceptional service and beautiful flooring. Absolutely delighted with every aspect. Went above and beyond great customer service to meet our needs and timescales.
We can thoroughly recommend Oak by Design. Not only did they provide the best of oak floors and oak staircase to suit our new, contemporary home, but they returned to make good a problem which was not their fault. Going the extra mile separates great companies from ordinary firms. Thank you Jamie & Billy. From Mike & Barbara, York.
We 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
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.
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.
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
