The very first Old Charm Centre of Excellence studio is now open at HFSM, with all ranges of the fabulous Old Charm collection displayed, and is well-worth a visit. We also offer a bespoke white glove delivery service of Old Charm products to addresses on the England and Wales mainland. Currently, HFSM can only supply Old Charm to shoppers buying at our massive furniture showrooms in Shepton Mallet, but soon we will also be selling Old Charm furniture on this website.
For many years, Haskins Furniture have been retailing Old Charm furniture to customers in the West of England - building a strong business relationship with Wood Bros.
In 1924, at the age of fourteen, Herbert Wood founded what has now become Wood Bros. of Ware; the UK’s leading oak furniture manufacturer, and a company of international repute. From the East End of London, Herbert Wood’s dream was to produce collections of furniture that combined unique style with quality and practicality. But, above all, the furniture had to be unaffected by time and fashion - furniture which would actually appreciate with age, both financially and aesthetically. His dream became a reality when he began to produce the Old Charm range of Tudor style oak reproduction furniture, which today comprises a magnificent collection of living, home office, entertainment and occasional furniture; using many traditional cabinet-making techniques, such as dovetailing, jointing, hand finishing and carving.
Wood Bros. design history is one of variety and prestige and included many successful ranges, such as Lurashell and New Charm, among others.
Lurashell played a significant part in the Modern Furniture movement of the 1950s and 1960s and along with key designers like Charles Eames (USA) and Arne Jacobsen (Denmark), experimented in the UK with new materials, including fiberglass and cast aluminium; creating many iconic pieces, the Egg chair, for example.
Lurashell with UK designer David Hicks, became hugely popular and went on to supply high profile ocean liners, including the Canberra and the Queen Elizabeth II. Now part of the UK’s design history, Lurashell is on display at the Victoria & Albert Museum in London.
As a family owned business based in Ware, Hertfordshire, Wood Bros. has established an unrivalled selection of specialist retailers, both across the UK and internationally. The company has always strived to offer industry best practice, including a strong online presence.
Wood Bros has always promoted good husbandry of its timber sources, but more recently, has been far more pro-active in ensuring and maintaining its green credentials. This has now spread throughout the business, where care for and impact upon the environment is at the forefront of company policy.
The company strives to continually improve, update and develop itself to changing trends and market conditions, constantly reviewing best practice and relevance to customers, and seeking to forge strong business partnerships.
A family owned British company since 1924, Wood Bros as developed into the UK’s leading oak furniture company and a business of international renown. Made up of five distinct ranges - Old Charm, Hertford, Marc Dohl, Raffles and Verve - the furniture collections from the makers of Old Charm span traditional and contemporary tastes and are sold by quality retailers across the UK and abroad. While traditional Old Charm sits at the core of the company’s portfolio, it has been subtly adapted to accommodate the demands of the high-tech age and ever-changing lifestyle. Wood Bros’ furniture offers solutions for living, dining, home office, occasional and home entertainment areas.
The design inspiration for Old Charm comes from the Tudor and Elizabethan era - a golden age in England’s history, when cabinet-making skills and craftsmanship were highly regarded. Today, we still hand-sand, finish and antique, as well as using many traditional construction techniques, including dovetailing and mortice and tenon joints for added strength. Style-wise, many influences from Europe and the Renaissance are evident, and their generic motifs, turnings and carvings are still current and desirable in the present day.
The dining room has always been a fundamental room in the home and Old Charm answers this demand with a variety of dining collections, some more formal than others:
The Richmond is a robust collection that features a stylized trestle table, that, with the the traditional wedge construction and chop carving, is typical of the Tudor period. It is a best-selling group that, along with the Sideboard (OC 2368) and Upholstered Chairs (OC 2313 and OC 2314) lends formality and substance to the dining room.
In contrast, the Aldeburgh Dining Group is all together on a different scale. Centred around an extending D-end table, the single turned pedestal base is left un-carved and follows clean lines. It is a compact group that is popular with the younger market and those with smaller homes. Due to its simplicity, it complements many of the Old Charm dining chairs.
The Lancaster group features a larger D-end extending table, with the proportions on a grander scale and shows two turned pedestal legs, joined by a decorative and structural h-frame. The extension mechanism is a smooth and synchronized operation, accommodating eight people when fully extended (six when closed). The Lancaster is often displayed with the OC 2067 and OC 2068 dining chairs, which feature turned front legs, traditional scrolled finials on the backs and upholstered seat and back panels.
The York is a stylish dining group characterized by the panelled extending table and the unique square turned legs, which are a design improvisation on the standard round turnings. The statuesque profile required a new lathe to be designed and shows a development on from traditional Tudor lines.
Minuet is a recent addition to the Old Charm portfolio, offering a lighter, more feminine take on a traditional dining collection. The slender tapering legs are echoed in the Sideboard (OC 2773) and the Display Cabinet (OC 2774), while the simple carving - running floral motif and bead and bevelled panels - acknowledge its Elizabethan roots. Fully upholstered chairs available in Manhattan Beige or Russet complete the group. As with all Old Charm chairs, they are interchangeable with all dining groups.
Occasional furniture plays a significant part in the Old Charm furniture collection and some of the oldest and most sought after pieces belong in this section. For example, the Canted Table (OC 1434), Pedestal Cabinet (OC1582) and Occasional Gateleg Table (OC 1493), which demonstrate Tudor motifs, including the stylized Gothic arch on the Canted Table, carved linen fold panels on the Pedestal Cabinet and traditional gate legs on the Occasional Table. More recent additions include the ornate Games Table (OC 2446), which features low relief fluting, cactus flower panels and a carved bulbous pedestal leg. As well as being decorative, the Games Table offers three gaming options; chess, cards and backgammon to be played on an intricately veneered board.
Home Entertainment and Home Office are key areas in today’s households and we have taken pieces from their traditional roots, adapting them to contemporary requirements. For example, the Rise and Fall TV Cabinet (OC 2760) is a stunning piece showcasing cactus flower friezes, linen fold panels and open fluting, combined with practical hidden storage and slimline rise and fall flat screen television position. A discreet remote control powers the lift, ensuring a well thought out and sophisticated cabinet.
Every piece of furniture is made from the finest selection of natural timber, the character of which shows variation of grain adding to its individual nature and appearance. It is important to remember that small knots, grain and natural colour variations are deliberately retained. The wear and tear with the passage of time simply mellows and improves the furniture, adding character and appeal.
The Hertford Collection is a dining and occasional range, ideal for those who enjoy mixing the old and new. It features simple lines and chunky styling, that will endure the test of time. Manufactured in oak, pieces in the Hertford collection are available in all standard finishes: Light Oak, Tudor Brown, and Vintage, plus new Natural Oak finish. Its versatility enables it to suit both contemporary and traditional homes.
the range includes a dining suite (with two dining table options; one extending, the other, gateleg), two sideboards and illuminated dresser tops and a choice of two mirrors. Occasional and Entertainment furniture are also part of the range, for those who have an open plan living and dining space, or who simply like to co-ordinate their home. Items include modular bookcases with cable management, an illuminated Display Cabinet (HE 6020), a TV/DVD Base Unit (HE 2688) and a variety of occasional tables.
The Marc Dohl style is a departure from the traditional oak furniture synonymous with Old Charm. It is a dining and occasional collection, characterized by a sophisticated fusion of walnet and oak, giving it a fresh, yet retro, feel.
The striking contrast between the two woods adds lustre and interest, which, when combined with the clean, geometric lines, produces the perfect contemporary look.
Simple and functional, this collection is split into Dining, Entertainment and Occasional. The dining group contains and extending dining table, seating eight comfortably, when extended, a choice of two chairs (hide, or slatted back) and two sideboards and mirror. The Entertainment pieces include two TV Bases and flat screen TV Lift Cabinet (MD 9081). The Occasional offering comprises a variety of low tables.
This year, Wood Bros, the makers of Old Charm, have expanded their Dining Furniture selection with ŒRaffles’, a stunning colonial-inspired oak collection. It includes two extending dining tables, accompanying chairs, two sideboards, illuminated display cabinet, mirror, various occasional tables and a TV/DVD cabinet.
Distinguished by the hand-distressed steel under-frame, the dining tables have structural and visual appeal and are further enhanced by complementary antiqued metal fixtures and fittings, which are influenced by Campaign style furniture.
The new finish is a new burnished ŒSable’ colour, which is hand-polished, adding warmth and lustre. The burnishing offers a deep textured finish, offering unique character to the collection.
Both tables benefit from a reciprocal extension mechanism, creating a seamlessly smooth movement: pulling one end automatically releases the other to create space for extra leaves; a feature that is available on all extending dining tables from the makers of Old Charm. The 5ft table seats six (eight, when extended) and the 6ft table seats eight (ten, when extended).
The Verve collection with its fluid shapes and oak-walnut timber combination, is a style innovation from Old Charm. An Occasional collection in its own right, with a variety of compact, sophisticated designs, Verve is influenced by the glamorous, yet functional, style of the Art Deco movement.
The bold use of curves and the sunburst motif used on many of the pieces being typical of the late 1920s. Verve is a distinctive collection made up of two coffee tables, a lamp table, a single and double drinks cabinet, console table and mirror, TV cabinet and an upholstered accent chair. Demonstrating the fine craftsmanship synonymous with Old Charm, the range has been very popular since its launch in 2009.
At present, Old Charm Furniture is only available in-store. Please contact Haskins Furniture Shepton Mallet for more details.
Massive savings to be made on furniture and beds. We have £500,000 of stock to clear, so there are amazing in-store clear-out offers. Items include bedframes, divan sets, mattresses, dining tables and chairs, sofas, armchairs, coffee tables, display cabinets, dressers, chest of drawers, But hurry - while stocks last and some of these items are one-offs!