Members of the community, Mike and Charmaine Bibby, have been providing the area with gorgeous furniture and interior design services for more than five years. You may recognize some of the handcrafted pieces by their signature hand carved Bee! Mike was born and raised in England and was inspired and influenced by some of the worlds finest furniture makers. He grew up just a few miles from the famous Robert Thompson, a master furniture maker. The tradition of adorning furniture with a carved logo, which is so popular in Yorkshire, is also seen in Mike’s work. Their hand carved bee log is very subtly incorporated in each furniture item – always perfectly placed and distinctive and makes your furniture item one of a kind.
We caught up with them to learn a little more about what they love about their product and what they love about our area!
How long has your business been in the Balfour/Harrop area?
Bibby Fine Interiors has been operating for more than 5 years, but last year concentrated on online or e-design during the pandemic.
Bibby Fine Furniture opened its doors in 2020
What services do you provide? What makes your business special?
Mike is the fine furniture maker and Charmain offers interior design services. Each business is run separately but we also work together on some projects – we make a great creative team. As an Interior designer there are often compromises when it comes to sourcing the perfect furniture item from mainstream stores – sometimes the size isn’t ideal or the finish isn’t perfect and that is where we complement each other so well. Charmain sees the vision and Mike can make just about anything – with the correct dimensions, perfect finish and detail to compliment the entire room.
All our furniture is hand crafted and made from solid, locally and ethically sourced hardwoods. With our furniture making, we make an effort and invest extra time on more challenging, curvy designs. We also use traditional wood working techniques and proper joints such as dove tail joints in our furniture. We have a range of white oak, round tables with nice curves and tapers that are our current number one. We have a range of furniture items already designed, but we are also happy to accommodate customers with custom designs, dimensions and stain options.
What do you love about our area and how does it affect business and how you operate?
We love the outdoors and love spending time with our children exploring the vast areas of wilderness around us – we go for hikes and camping and enjoy the lake with our canoe. Balfour seems to be a friendly community and we have settled in here nicely.
Tell us a little about yourself! What drew you to the area, how do you enjoy the area when you’re not working? What do you love most about your job?
We originally came to the Nelson area as Mike was doing the Fine Furniture program at the Selkirk College, we loved the town and area and have decided to make this area our home. When are not working, you will find us somewhere in the mountains or on the water. Being your own boss after being in the corporate world for years, is refreshing and traveling for work and being away from home for long periods is all over.
Where can people find out more (website, social media links, etc.)
Facebook: Bibby Fine Interiors and Fine Furniture
Instagram: @bibbyfinefurniture.com
