Mike Cordner

After more than 20 years of semi-professional furniture making, Mike now focuses on crafting an elegant range of jewellery, trinket, and keepsake boxes under the name Boxclever at his Braco based home studio. Using primarily native Scottish hardwoods, he creates unique, beautifully finished solid wood boxes designed to hold cherished possessions.

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Around 15 years ago, Mike also rekindled his passion for painting after a break of almost forty years. Working mainly with pastels, he enjoys their versatility and expressive potential, specialising in seascapes and skies, while occasionally creating still life artworks as a way to refine his technical skills.

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Aesthetic

When crafting each unique box, Mike places the emphasis firmly on the wood itself. His designs are intentionally simple, allowing the natural beauty of the material to take centre stage. He also enjoys experimenting with colour, texture, and touches of gold leaf to enrich the appearance and tactile quality of his turned pieces, which are created to be as decorative as they are functional.

Practice

Each Boxclever piece begins with the wood, and Mike works with, not against, the wood’s inherent beauty, letting its grain and texture guide the final form.​

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Mike’s process is entirely hands-on: cutting, shaping, and finishing each surface with care and patience. Every box is a fine example of craftsmanship, shows an eye for balance and a celebration of the beauty of the natural material which is hand sanded and polished, layer by layer, until the surface takes on a soft, natural sheen that feels as beautiful as it looks.

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All the timbers used are sustainably sourced from accredited suppliers and may be from managed woodlands or from trees that have fallen or which need to be felled on safety grounds. 

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Location

Braco