Made Studio Adds New Showroom and Ecommerce Platform to Its Handcrafted Furniture Line

Words by Gigi Davidge
Photography by Made Studio

Established in 2016 and run by Melbourne brothers Garrett and Alex Lark, Made Studio is an Australian manufacturer of handcrafted furniture for both residential and commercial environments.

With roots in the hospitality and commercial design sector, having completed major projects such as Stamford Park Homestead in Rowville, Natural History Public Bar on Collins Street, and Citizen Café in South Wharf, Made Studio has recently forayed into the residential setting, offering an extensive array of carefully crafted furniture for the home. All pieces are made by a small team of craftspeople in Made Studio’s local workshop headed by Australian furniture designer Garrett Lark, where each item stems from a passion for the innate beauty of natural materials and a thorough understanding of the Australian furniture landscape.

Made Studio Lark Brothers 2[67]

Although very much a collaborative effort, each of the founders brings his own unique strengths to the company.

A pure creative collaboration, both of the Lark brothers brings his own unique strengths to the company and both have over 10 years’ experience in the world of high-end furniture, design and art. Alex leads the art and design direction as well as operations and client relationships. Garrett, meanwhile, leads the design, prototyping and manufacturing process and can regularly be found in Made Studio’s workshop exploring natural, sustainable materials and implementing design collaborations with the local creative community.

Made Studio maintains a strong focus on contemporary, timeless design crafted out of materials such as American oak, steel and organic linens. The furniture collection includes tables, chairs, stools, benches, sofas, chairs and storage. There are multiple sizes offered within each category and custom finishes available upon request. The company has both the ability to tap into its existing product offering as well as to create entirely new furniture pieces and one-off joinery solutions. Regardless of scope, Made Studio works closely with every client, interior designer and architect, providing a completely customised experience for every project.

“Our more custom approach promotes quality workmanship and opens the door to sheer possibility.”

The ethos behind the studio has a proud emphasis on locality – a focus that has only sharpened as a result of the COVID-19 pandemic. Garrett believes that too much hard-earned money is wasted on inferior wood-look products that inevitably become landfill. “Our more custom approach promotes quality workmanship and opens the door to sheer possibility,” he says. “Immediately we gain control over the strength, durability, look, feel, sustainability, variety and versatility of any particular creation.”

Made Studio has recently opened a showroom, located in Melbourne’s trendy Fitzroy district. With this studio space, Made Studio showcases its iconic table, coffee table, seating and sofa designs, such as the Pebble, Kiri, Merton, Wilson, Wilson Relax and many others that have been designed and created exclusively by Made Studio in Melbourne Australia since 2017.

Made Studio maintains a strong focus on contemporary, timeless design crafted out of materials such as American oak, steel and organic linens.

Opening a showroom only a few days prior to the Victorian lockdown undeniably came with the challenges endured by all too many businesses in 2020. Made Studio used the opportunity to pivot, adding an online sales channel to its comprehensive new website. Since then, Alex and Garrett have also noticed a significant increase to the buy local movement, witnessing that people are now, more than ever, collecting quality pieces that have a positive impact on their lives, as well as the economy and the environment around them.

“Since the ease of being able to open our doors again, we have seen an increase of clients and appreciation of locally made furniture,” says Garrett. “There is no better time but the present to focus on locally made design and we are ready to hit the ground running, now that the Victorian restrictions have eased.”

Made Studio has big things planned for the future, with a new workshop located in Brunswick and a brand-new showroom space located just off Smith Street, opening in mid-2021. With an offering quality handcrafted products, the capability to custom design and make furniture and joinery, and now a line of complementary design products available through the showroom, Made Studio is sure to attract the continued appreciation from design-lovers and the Australian design industry alike

Alex and Garrett have recently opened a Made Studio showroom located in Melbourne’s trendy Fitzroy district.

Made Studio used the opportunity to pivot, adding an online sales channel to its comprehensive new website.