Words: Chloe Metcalfe
Robyn Wood is a designer and maker of furniture and products; with a preference for minimal, warm contemporary design, her practice is informed by creative and artisan approach.
“As a graduate interior designer fresh out of university in the early 1990s, I worked for Australian firm IJF - a joinery and furniture manufacturer. I worked on developing ranges of furniture for Australian embassy residences in various locations.
I also had the chance to travel and work with existing high-end furniture. I just loved working with those pieces and on that scale and the idea of designing for myself started from there. After 20 years designing interiors and joinery I decided to dedicate time to focus on furniture.”
Inspired by positive feelings and connecting people to each other, Robyn’s designs tend towards organic lines and natural materials. Something as simple as a shadow can trigger an idea for Robyn, making her design work incredibly diverse.
“I work on many creative projects. While I work on private commissions, plus my own small production range of artisan furniture and objects, I also work with companies on new designs for them. Space design and joinery for interior fit-outs is another service I offer.”
Image: The Edge cheeseboard by Robyn Wood
Joining The Mill in 2017, Robyn has become a valuable member of our community. Initially setting up a retail studio, she has since moved towards a more hands-on woodworking studio which has seen her practice develop considerably.
“Being at the Mill has allowed me to test out different models to see what would work best for me, in my studio. Over the past 3 years, The Mill has provided the support and flexibility to do that. I have moved from a showroom window office, where I focused on retail, to a workshop space where I was hands on woodworking.
The Mill team has given support and provided opportunities in developing my creative practice which is so important to me. I held my first solo exhibition here and collaborated with in-house graphic designers, photographers and writers in putting that together. It’s been exciting to collaborate on commercial and creative projects with other artists as well, it has allowed me to develop my design philosophy and progress to the next stage of my work. I find I am associated - whether through past work or my name – as someone who works only in timber, but my time in the Mill has allowed me to expand beyond that, which was always where I wanted to head.”
You can view Robyn’s work by visiting her website here and browse her pieces below.