Joiner/cabinet maker Wayne Smith originally hails from Gisborne.

As a lad and on leaving school he first joined the Royal New Zealand Navy where he had his first introduction to wooden boats, whalers and cutters and the old craftsmen who built them. It was from watching these craftsmen, boat builders, shipwrights, joiners and cabinet makers that inspired Wayne to learn the craft of woodworking, subsequently building specialised vanities, entertainment cabinets, hutches, dressers and tables all from New Zealand native timber.

Now from his workshop near Tauranga, Wayne supplies customers all over New Zealand with custom-built furniture to the client's design and specification.

Wayne - shown above with a leadlight window crafted in native timber - takes pride in his work, and demands a high standard of finish and attention to detail. Custom-designed and odd-size pieces are a speciality.

(Left) Wayne Smith carefully selects every piece of timber used in his creations. (Above) Wayne's comprehensively equipped workshop