There’s something about knowing where a thing was made - and who made it - that elevates things from just being ‘stuff’ and gives them a certain essence that’s pretty damn special. Like when you’re a kid and you discover that your favourite toy was made by your grandad, or that your cosy woollen hat was carefully knitted by your mum. Well this is the same experience that we’ve had in discovering the old-school workshops of Auckland, and the genius people of all ages who inhabit them. The last few months we’ve been seeing our ideas being refined and brought to life by sets of hands all over Auckland - whether it’s dip-stripping out the back of Avondale, welding in the CBD, glueing table-tops at Muriwai, or moulding plywood in Onehunga - and it’s been nothing short of amazing.

You may look at our collection go furniture and see a bunch of stuff, but we see people, long hours, hard-won skills, dirty workshops, and a wonderful collection of characters who can crack a fast joke and turn their skills into a very practical beauty. They’ve also very kindly taught us a whole wealth of stuff. Here’s a few of ‘em.