According to our rough calculations, we count over 150 local furniture makers in Melbourne (Narrm) in our network! It turns out many are our neighbours here and around the North of the city too.
The Sustainable Maker Series came about to celebrate this amazing maker community we have near and afar and the unique work they create using our timber. To see our timber and wood we have carefully sourced, used to its highest use, is where the magic happens for us.
Tim Besley is one such maker that has been sourcing some of this unique timber from us as he develops Begbie Furniture Studio. Tim is a Melbourne based industrial designer with over 15 years experience in the field but made the leap to focus on a career in furniture making in 2020. With a grandfather who taught woodwork at highschool and a father who is an accomplished woodturner, it seems little coincidence that his journey would lead him back to working with timber.
Tim wanted to work more with his hands and to build a closer relationship with the materials he had been using to create products with. Tim took up residence at Spacetank, a share maker space in Coburg North (Wurundjeri Woi-Wurrung Country) to focus on a career in furniture making.
The focus of his studio is to create contemporary timber furniture that is beautiful, carefully considered and made to the highest possible standard using a mix of modern technology and time honored craftsmanship. We are drawn to his work for it’s warmth, authenticity and amazing attention to detail.
“I’m a big fan of Ceres Fair Wood because not only do they stock an interesting range of unusual and interesting timbers, but I can trace the origins of the timber".
On top of this I can be confident that the timber is sustainably managed and Hayden is super helpful and a good dude”.
Tim recently completed The Morgan Record cabinet. It is a bespoke furniture piece designed to house a curated record collection, amplifier and turntable. The sunken trough in the top of the unit acts as additional storage and to display high rotation records.
The design is minimal and modern with a hint of vintage hi-fi. Tim used local salvaged Blackwood as well as veneered ply and brass to finish.
"A large part of the attraction to bespoke furniture, besides the customisation, is that the piece comes with its own story. Who it was made by, where, and the process of collaboration. Being able to trace the origins of the raw material only adds to this experience for my clients" says Tim.
