A POPULAR woodworker based in Abingdon welcomed the election of the third US president to use furniture he handcrafted for the White House.

Paul Sellers, who is a well-known British woodworker, writer and teacher, spoke out about the long-standing legacy he left in America's most important building.

The two traditional wooden cabinets, which measure at 91 centimetres tall and nearly two-meters, stand on either side of the Oval Office entrance way in the Cabinet Room.

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The 70-year-old woodworker designed the pieces for the White House Permanent Collection in 2008 and, after a successful commission from the White House, he installed them in 2009.

Mr Sellers proudly remembered being invited to the official residence and workplace of the president of the United States, on the eve of January 20, 2009, the day of President Obama's first inauguration.

Oxford Mail:

Speaking about the experience, the Abingdon resident commented: "I was in the Cabinet installing the two cabinets with the Fist Lady's personal assistant.

"They gave me a wonderful tour of the building and it was just remarkable to see it all.

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"I was there when President Bush was giving his parting speech that evening – everything was such a buzz.

"I imagine it is the sort of feeling of visiting Westminster and Number 10."

At the time Mr Sellers lived in Texas and working as an independent woodworker.

Oxford Mail:

The craftsman wanted to travel the world and experience what it would be like living in another country, so he applied for a visa to the US in 1982 and ended up moving four years later.

Initially, he worked as cabinet maker at a company in Texas but after a year he decided to start a business on his own.

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He commented: "I worked every day and became quite well know for my craft in America.

"I love what I do and I have been making furniture and working with wood for the last 56 years of my life.

"When I came back to England, thought I would have to retire here as people did not know my work, but I started a new business and now we have a huge following around the world."

Mr Sellers, who apprenticed as an woodworker at 15, now has a successful YouTube channel, which sports almost 500k subscribers.