Members of Forest of Avon Products have been awarded the contract to design and fit bespoke shop fittings and furniture at the newly-refurbished Ashton Court Visitor Centre.

Sue Darlison is the lead designer and project co-ordinator and will be working with other co-op members Wayne Smith and Joe Dart on construction and installation of the furniture.

After seeing the offerings of a number of traditional shopfitters, the Ashton Court team realise they needed something that was more in keeping with the character and style of the building.

Several design consultations later and Sue's final designs incorporating curved shelves that mirror the contours of the existing fittings in the stable block were presented and eagerly adopted.The shelves will be in solid, local Ash and will be matched with cupboards with woven oak lath doors that follow the curves of the shelving. The frames of the cupboards will have to be steam bent by hand to achieve this curve.

The finished pieces will be fitted in September.

Watch this space