The L-Dreamer Couch. Photo – Caitlin Mills

Pop & Scott

We often see Pop & Scott’s beautifully designed and well-crafted pieces in the homes we feature on TDF. For good reason too, the small, family-run business makes furniture specifically for the Australian lifestyle; simple, practical, timeless, and able to be placed among many different styles and trends.

Partners in life and business, Poppy Lane and Scott Gibson, started out making all the furniture themselves in their own workshop. Now, they outsource the bulk of their production to a small Melbourne furniture maker and upholstery house, but continue to make the lighting and unique furniture pieces in their own workshop.

Shop Pop & Scott pieces here

Idle Hands

Idle Hands is the brainchild of metal fabricator and former ship-builder Kieran Meegan, and artist Rickie-Lee Robbie. Their pieces are distinctive in their look, often proudly colourful and strike the cardinal balance of function and form.

The duo make all their furniture in Melbourne. ‘As a tradesperson, it was natural for me to want to make the pieces myself here in Australia,’ says Kieran. ‘And, over time we’ve seen a lot of benefit from this approach, for example, the ability to customise our pieces for clients. This process also supports other local businesses, and, when we make things ourselves, we don’t need to have everything made in large quantities, which means there is less waste overall.’

Shop Idle Hands here

Left: Smooth Side Tables. Right: Smooth Shelf/Large. Photo – Courtesy Nicole Lawrence

Nicole Lawrence

Another creative doing beautiful things with metal is Nicole Lawrence, whose softly curved, smooth-edged pieces are also a frequent feature in our TDF homes.

The Melbourne creative launched her studio three years ago and has been producing her made-to-order pieces ever since.

‘I wanted to be able to work closely with my suppliers to realise my pieces,’ says Nicole. ‘I really value being able to drop by and chat through ideas, complications and standards.’

Shop Nicole Lawrence here

Photo – Courtesy Billy Furniture

Billy Furniture

Billy Howard cut his teeth working with Melbourne’s Nick McDonald of Made by Morgen until 2017, when Billy Furniture was born.

Billy’s pieces are hard to forget – and guaranteed to put a smile on your face. From flower-shaped side tables to elegantly formed bed frames and dining suites, his ‘devil may care’ approach to design sees him channel ‘the attitude of a rocker and the vibrant flare of an artist’ in his work.

You can find a small range of pieces on his website, however the furniture maker admits he finds custom orders more fulfilling. ‘I enjoy involving the client in the design process,’ Billy says. ‘It makes a piece a little more special if they feel they had some sway in the design.’

Shop Billy Furniture here

Fearon

Tradie brothers Jack and Mark Fearon launched FEARON in 2019 and it’s been a cult favourite in the Australian design scene ever since.

Now joining the beloved ‘Chub’ – a rounded, colourful stool made from aluminium – are even more playful pieces including the ‘Drew Drawers‘ (a playful set of drawers with big smiley face handles), ‘Float‘ (a sturdy, simple bed frame in their signature chubby style and bold colour), and ‘Bonnie‘ (a bench with zig-zag legs) – to name a few!

Jack says there’s more new designs in the works, including a playful take on lights, desks and rocking chairs coming soon.

Shop FEARON here

Rushcutters Bench. Photo – Courtesy of James Howe

James Howe

A self-professed minimalist, James Howe’s furniture designs draw inspiration from what he observes in nature, city landscapes, and ‘utilitarian’ man-made objects. Some of his most impressive pieces include the Rushcutters Bench that features a beautiful hand-woven, hand-dyed Danish paper cord, and the telescope-style Hubble Lamp.

James’s goal is to create ‘beautiful and innovative furniture,’ and says local manufacturing is the best way to achieve this – which also explains the intimate attention to detail that’s embedded within every piece.

Shop James Howe here

Monde three-seater. Styling – Homebody. Photo – Mikaela Stafford

Monde

If you haven’t already heard of Monde, let us introduce you to the local furniture brand that’s making the striking modular sofas of our dreams. Inspired by simple and timeless shapes of the past, Monde creates versatile and durable lounges that are all custom and made-to-order right here in Melbourne, with the goal of eliminating waste and manufacturing responsibly.

It also means you can pick your own colour, size, and configurations, and have it made and delivered within just 12 weeks!

Shop Monde here by enquiry

AOD-T (table), by Made by Morgen. Photo – Courtesy Made by Morgen

Made By Morgen

Made by Morgen founder Nick McDonald has been making and designing furniture for 10 years, so it’s safe to say he knows his stuff!

Guided by the core philosophy of ‘make it simple, make it well’, Nick’s pieces are designed to stand the test of time, handcrafted in a style that’s reminiscent of Scandinavian and mid-century furniture. Check out Morgen & Sanford, Nick’s collaboration with his long-time mentor Charles Sanford for more swoon-worthy and impeccably made furniture!

Shop Made by Morgen here

Zenn Design

Zenn Design’s minimalist furniture and and upholstered pieces are chic, stylish and fully customisable. Founder and creative director Hannah Goldberg says the business was born three years ago out of a gap in the market for bespoke furniture, and her growing business has been manufacturing all Zenn Design pieces locally ever since.

Whether you chose to shop their collaborations with brands like Warwick and Abode Living, or to commission a one-off custom design, the Zenn Design range offers countless options to personalise your space, without breaking the bank.

Shop Zenn Design here

The A-Joint Table. Photo – Courtesy of Laker Studio

Laker Studio

Sydney designers and friends David Caon and Henry Wilson combine their talents in Laker Studio’s striking pieces. Their contemporary brand is equal parts industrial and commercial, with everything from solid oak timber stools that would elevate any room, to a modular shelving system and eye-catching metal wall hooks.

They’re all about merging practical design with aesthetics, and we’re big fans!

Shop Laker Studio here

Photo – Courtesy of Jardan

Jardan 

Jardan are one of Australia’s most respected family businesses in the design industry, having been around since 1987. A lot has changed since they first started out, but every Jardan piece – whether it’s their extensive range of furniture, homewares, or lighting – is still proudly handcrafted ‘with love’ in Melbourne, which has been a big part of their enduring success!

The company is known for their contemporary Australian style, that plays on local architecture and modern interiors, with a beautiful palette of colours, textures, and playful shapes.

A strong commitment to local manufacturing has also enabled Jardan to take a leading position on sustainability – they have been certified as carbon neutral since 2014, and maintain impressive sustainability standards across all aspects of their business.

Shop Jardan here