/design/
Barnaby Lane: Tanner Chair
Barnaby Lane is Melbourne’s latest answer to interiors and by all means a lasting one. Inspired by Scandinavian and Nordic design, Barnaby Lane encapsulates the principles of sleek, minimalist design to match their timeless appeal of quality, raw materials. With Scandi style furniture sourced from all over the world, the store produces a classy, quality over quantity approach. What’s exciting is the fascinating journey each Barnaby Lane piece will undergo before making it into your living room.
The cubes, chairs and benches of the label are each individually created using recycled teak salvaged from retired Javanese fishing boats. Traditionally the fuel for a bonfire at the end of the boat’s sailing life, the teak is utilised for a second time around. Sent instead to the local communities of Indonesia, the material is transformed once again into a cleverly designed, hand-crafted stroke of genius. Rae Maxwell, designer and head honcho behind Barnaby Lane, sat down with us to talk about his latest additions to the collection, the Tanner and the Kensington.
MM: The ethos of your dedication to salvage and recycle your individual pieces is commendable. Tell us about the journey Barnaby Lane takes from sourcing its materials to selling them shopfront?
Rae: Thanks! We love the thought that furniture and its materials can have a former life and a story of their own. It has two fantastic benefits, one, it's obviously great for our environment. Two, it means the wood has such a high quality and strength that it will last a lifetime. We work closely with our suppliers to ensure that they are using sustainably sourced materials typically from demolished building sites, former public sites such as schools or even retired fishing boats. The histories are fascinating!
MM: You also have two new additions to your furniture line, the Tanner and the Kensington. Tell us about their make and design.
The Tanner and Kensington chairs are woven by hand onto a recycled teak frame. As with most products they are inspired by our love of Scandinavian and Nordic design. Modern, simple, sturdy, functional and classic. We have several more variations of these chairs arriving at the end of the year and we can't wait to showcase them!
MM: Just as ready to see them appear! What is it about Nordic and Scandinavian design that influences you specifically??
We love the design simplicity they employ, and believe that good design is more about restraint than anything else.
MM: Why is European design so important to Barnaby Lane?
European design is important to our brand, and we are inspired by the clean lines, and high quality products produced there. However, the most important influence to our brand is the city we live in - Melbourne! Melbourne is home to so many fabulous designers, furniture makers, stylists and interior designers whom we believe are creating a genre all of their own. We are very lucky to be surrounded by such creative talent and inspiration.
MM: We couldn’t agree more! What kind of future are you hoping to build for the store?
We've spent the last three months working on our new collection and we are really excited with the products that will be arriving early next year. The new collection will expand our product line significantly and includes homewares, pendants, iron chairs, stools, occasional armchairs, dining chairs and leather butterfly chairs. The homewares include matte marble boards, recycled teak serving boards, recycled teak candle holders and woven baskets that are made by a collective of working mothers in Indonesia to help support their families.
If you want to find out more about Barnaby Lane you can visit their website, follow them on Instagram or find them on Facebook !
