Vivienne Wong

We are very fortunate to have many fine furniture makers pass through our shop doors. They come looking for special, unique and local timbers and also are drawn to our sustainability credentials and friendly approach. In this maker series, we are profiling these special people that craft beautiful furniture with our sustainable timber. 

Vivienne Wong is a Melbourne based furniture maker and designer who established her work-shop at the beginning of 2020 under the roof of Worco, a non profit co-operative located in the North of Melbourne. Previously a soloist dancer with The Australian Ballet for 14 years, a career change was inevitable, and though furniture making didn’t seem the most obvious path it actually made a lot of sense. From dance and into woodcraft Vivienne found a medium that was still creative, tactile, visual and physical. For Vivienne crafting furniture was the perfect fit and the perfect transition. Vivienne has trained and worked with several independent furniture makers in Melbourne over the last four years, exploring and self teaching along the way. Throughout her time learning and working with different makers Vivienne has accumulated invaluable knowledge and experience in the industry, having hands-on contact with different approaches to design, craftsmanship techniques and engineering approaches. Vivienne uses a combination of modern and traditional woodworking skills, carefully crafting pieces that focus on creating furniture that strikes a fine balance between elegant design and functionality.

Vivienne designed and made this side table from salvaged Tasmainian Blackwood, as a custom design for a client in Melbourne. The design was dictated by the client's needs and the place where it would sit within the home, it's a simple and clean design made to fit in with the existing decor of the home. The dimensions and design were informed by the client's need for a piece to place his laptop and other devices with easy access to the chargers and cables. 

Vivienne says, “Personally and as a maker sustainability is an important factor, and as such CERES Fair Wood is always my first stop when sourcing local salvaged and farmed timbers. I like the fact that the staff know exactly where each tree came from and its history, it's something that is important to me and gives my clients a bit of a story that comes along with the piece as well”.