Reactivating Craft – Anton Assaad of Great Dane Furniture

Born from a passion for Danish design, Great Dane’s story has continued to evolve through the relationships developed with studios in Scandinavia and engagement with local Australian makers.

Having started Great Dane as a supplier of vintage Scandinavian furniture in Australia, founder Anton Assaad saw an opportunity in the market to become a supplier of new Danish design in Australia and to act as a conduit to reactivate artisanal makers and crafters in the process. Both reviving Danish furniture workshops that may otherwise have closed and also designing and manufacturing locally, Great Dane has had an unparalleled role to play in continuing the legacy of Danish design and strengthening the connection between Denmark and Australia.

Having started Great Dane as a supplier of vintage Scandinavian furniture in Australia, founder Anton Assaad saw an opportunity in the market to become a supplier of new Danish design in Australia and to act as a conduit to reactivate artisanal makers and crafters in the process.

In the early years, like any ambitious young business owner, Anton actively sought opportunities to expand and grow the brand. Speaking to the days when he exclusively dealt in vintage furniture, Anton says, “we loved what we did, but it wasn’t a sustainable business. We were taking this furniture out of Scandinavia, [so we thought] why not put some of the money back into where it was coming from?” From this line of thinking, affiliations were built to reactivate factories and designs that were out of production in Denmark and gain manufacturing rights in Australia at the same time.

Anton adds, “that led us on a path to build intimate relationships with numerous manufacturers in Scandinavia who had moved away from furniture and might have been otherwise left on the side lines. In a way, we enabled them to go back to the roots of building furniture.” With the Great Dane Klassiks range came the design and development of pieces for the Australian market that are manufactured entirely or in part in Australia. This range now encompasses around one-third of the business and comprises all the pieces that Great Dane has exclusive worldwide rights to produce. The Great Dane Bed and Stobie Coffee Table are manufactured entirely in Australia, while the Klassik Sofa sees the frames imported from Denmark and the assembly and upholstery completed by local manufacturers.

Both reviving Danish furniture workshops that may otherwise have closed and also designing and manufacturing locally, Great Dane has had an unparalleled role to play in continuing the legacy of Danish design and strengthening the connection between Denmark and Australia.

“The creation of the range of Great Dane beds, Stobie Coffee Table and the Klassiks range necessitated finding local production partners to make the furniture we’d developed,” Anton explains. “Over time, we have expanded our range and our network has grown. We’ve met new designers and new factories and created opportunities. We’re both a curator and a manufacturer.” Although the process has not always been straightforward or linear, success has come from “us sticking to our guns and not having changed who we are,” he reflects. “We haven’t changed to compete, and we have run our own race.”

Great Dane’s approach has always been grounded in connecting and empowering craftspeople. This approach has led to the creation of “two communities – our clients and then the community of people we work with in Denmark and Australia,” Anton says. “What we have developed over the years is something we are really proud of, where we are working with people who are third-generation cabinet makers. We are constantly looking at how we can develop and foster those relationships.”

With the recent changes due to the COVID-19 pandemic, so too have showrooms and industry had to adapt their processes and ways of connecting with their customers. Anton says that, although Great Dane has closed the doors to the showrooms in Melbourne and Sydney, what they have been able to provide on a service level is much more important. “We can now offer for customers to have the showroom to themselves for an hour and our full attention purely on them,” he says.

In the early years, like any ambitious young business owner, Anton actively sought opportunities to expand and grow the brand.

“We are rebalancing how we do things by communicating that we are still here, still open and still doing what we have always done, and we can still deliver,” he continues. “We are reinforcing how incredibly focused we are, and the strength of the brand has helped with that.” Although the changes to the showroom operations have meant that physical interaction with customers is limited, connection online has flourished. “Our website traffic is up 700% during this time, and we are constantly in communication with clients digitally.”

With a new range set to be announced by the end of 2020, the future looks bright for Great Dane. The new range is built on a sustainable approach, Anton explains, which is why the product is being made locally in Australia. As the considered brand that Great Dane is, he says, “it is just more environmentally friendly to be made [in Australia], reducing the carbon footprint in getting the product here. The collection uses no foam whatsoever and instead uses an old foam-like product called hairlock.”

This dedication to constantly evolving and adapting according to the needs of the times has been key to Great Dane’s continued success and stems from an uncompromising emphasis on excellence. As Anton says, “our commitment has been not only to do something in a good way, but to do it in a great way.”

Great Dane’s approach has always been grounded in connecting and empowering craftspeople.