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Orkney Chairs have been at the heart of the home for centuries. Many a person would have relaxed at the fireside, cosy and sheltered from the draughts sneaking through the old stone house.
Long ago Orkney Chairs were humble pieces of furniture fashioned from driftwood from the shore. Straw for the stitched chair back came from the oat crop, the oats would be eaten as porridge or oatcakes and every bit of the straw would be used, either as cattle feed or to make chairs, baskets or rope, nothing was wasted.
Today Orkney Chairs are skillfully made by dedicated chairmakers and grace family homes, castles, museums and galleries. Scapa Crafts still collect driftwood and use only the finest Orkney oat straw to create unique and comfortable Orkney Chairs.
All our hand-crafted Orkney Chairs are available in different woods and in 3 sizes: Gent’s, Lady’s and Child’s with a Hood and/or Drawer.
The upright, shaped design offers therapeutic protection for your back.
Scapa Crafts Orkney Chairs are the perfect birthday, wedding and anniversary gift, a treasured heirloom for generations to come!
Making Orkney Chairs is very much a family business at Scapa Crafts. Husband and wife team Jackie and Marlene Miller have worked together for over 25 years supported by master joiner, Ian. The Orkney Chairmaking tradition is entering a new generation for Scapa Crafts now as Jackie and Marlene pass on their skills to family friend Michael, daughter Bridget and granddaughter Leah.
It takes time to make a beautiful, high quality Orkney Chair. Each Orkney Chair base has over 30 hand-crafted joints and will take Ian a full week to make. An Orkney Chair with a Hood requires 7 sheaves of Orkney Oat straw all of which Marlene will painstakingly clean stalk by stalk. Only when each stalk is clean will the straw of the Orkney Chair shine as Marlene wants it to. Jackie will then stitch the Strawback and Hood, a skill requiring almost another two weeks.
Every detail has to be perfect before Jackie is happy to put his signature on your Orkney Chair. As he says, ”When you buy an Orkney Chair you want it to be right, perfect in fact.”
The family hope you will enjoy your Orkney Chair as much as they enjoy making them.
”If you’re delighted, we’re delighted.“
