A newly expanded creative line up will see Perth outfit Edgar by Design take its seat at the table amongst Australia’s most innovative outdoor furniture designers.
Edgar by Design founders Tim Greaney and designer Guy Eddington successfully tapped into the alfresco furniture market a few years back, quickly garnering a salubrious client and stockist list for their signature range of custom designed, one-of-a-kind tile top tables – from Eamon Sullivan’s beachside restaurant Bib & Tucker to Floreat’s Someday Coffee Co., and iconic furniture retailer designFARM. However, with the duo having just teamed up with esteemed local interior designer Gabrielle Scott (the talent behind the fitouts at Propeller, Guildhall and Young Love Mess Hall), the brand is set to soar. We chatted to the trio about what’s on the table for 2019.
Q: How did this new expansion of the team come about?
Tim: Guy and I were good at coming up with ideas and designing the table bases, however having a finger on the pulse as to what trends were in and what tiles were available wasn’t a strong point of ours. We realised pretty quickly that we’d need someone to help put on the finishing touches and pretty-up the tables. Gab was the girl for us. It’s a match made in heaven.
Q: Gab, you’re established in the interior design industry, what lured you to the furniture design side?
Gab: Furniture design has always played a major role in my design projects. Considered design relies on customisation, and Perth has an abundance of really talented craftsman that I’ve been lucky enough to collaborate with. One of those clever ones was Guy. I had always followed his work, and used his products in jobs where I could. And Tim, I knew socially. He’s an engaging dude, hard to miss, so when the two of them approached me to join the gang, it was a no brainer. We’ve identified the market’s desire for top quality, Australian made outdoor furniture, and are thrilled to design it for them.
Q: Tim & Guy, how does having Gab on board better round out your previous team of two?
Tim: Guy and I bring our own skillset to the team, however we really needed that final artistic edge to finish things off. We now have a team that complements each other really well and we’ve all got our own roles that we stick to. Not only does Gab have an amazing eye for design but she also has a great business mind. It’s a combination you don’t often get when it comes to the creative folk!
Q: So, what can we expect from the newly diversified trio at Edgar by Design?
Gab: We are super excited to have recently joined the roster of incredible designers stocked by Design Farm, which has given us great momentum and a new audience. And we’ve just set up a new workshop in North Fremantle, a dream spot to show off our stocked products, and do our tinkering. The structure of the business remains the same – we keep making products that we think you’ll love, while also inviting you to collaborate with us on customs designs.
Q: What about any plans to add to the product line up – any different pieces or styles in the works?
Guy: Yep, we’re certainly looking forward to expanding the range. Our most recent addition is a smaller, café-style, four-seater dining table we designed initially for Sal’s Pasta Deli in Cottesloe, but it’s a product that we thought lent itself to being a popular stock item as well. Plus, we liked it so much that we couldn’t bear to just let it be a one-off! Next on the list is something that I’m particularly excited about, and that’s an outdoor dining chair to complement our table range. After that, we want to make a series of outdoor coffee tables to suit more casual dining situations, plus a range of taller, bar-height tables for more commercial applications. We’ve got plans to add accessories like tableware, pots and planters etc. to the range before long, plus other outdoor seating as well.
Q: What’s the direction you’re heading in at the moment?
Gab: We’re by no means limiting our focus to any one corner of the industry – just having fun covering it all! We have some really diverse commercial projects in the pipeline, and some super creative residential clients taking advantage of the customisation element. Tiles are one of those materials – so much variation, such divergent personal preferences – that to be able to choose your own, then rely on us to design you a table that you’ll still be sitting around in 20 years, is really thrilling for us.
Q: What’s great about being a furniture design outfit/creative team in Perth?
Guy: I think that one of the best things about being a creative team in Perth, particularly at the moment, is that the audience here is becoming increasingly informed and discerning. So, not only does that mean that we as designers are being constantly challenged to stay ahead of the curve – a challenge we enjoy, of course – but also that the average person is much more interested and receptive to what we’re doing than they might’ve been, say, five or ten years ago. I think it’s a great climate for creative startups right now.
Edgar by Design’s workshop is based in North Fremantle and open by appointment. Call 0417 902 274 or visit http://edgarbydesign.com
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