The best design stories rarely begin in a design studio.
For Tauranga-based lighting designer and maker Mat Macmillan, the journey towards founding Maker Design Studio has taken in London building sites, French farmhouses, cabinet-making workshops and corporate offices, before arriving at the craft-driven practice he runs today.
From his workshop in Tauranga, he creates handcrafted timber lights that transform simple materials into striking geometric forms. Delicate yet highly engineered, the pieces cast intricate patterns of light and shadow, bringing warmth and texture to contemporary interiors.
It's work that feels remarkably assured for someone who never formally studied design.
"I'd describe my career as nomadic," he says.
Before establishing Maker Design Studio, his path wound through cabinet-making workshops in London, construction sites across the UK, project-management roles and even a stint working with probation services after moving to New Zealand in 2006.
While the jobs varied, a fascination with design remained constant.
"I maintained an interest in architecture and design that I could never quite commit to studying," he recalls.
The turning point came in 2011 when he and his wife relocated to a lifestyle block in Welcome Bay. With workshop space finally available and decades of accumulated skills behind him, he took a leap of faith and launched his own studio.
Lighting was initially just one of several product ideas. Yet it quickly emerged as the ideal medium.
Unlike furniture or cabinetry, lighting possesses the ability to command attention. It occupies space both physically and atmospherically, shaping the way a room feels, while also functioning as an object of beauty in its own right.
His now highly recognisable iO collection exemplifies this thinking. Constructed from precisely machined timber components arranged in circular forms, the pendants appear deceptively simple. Look closer, however, and a remarkable level of craftsmanship reveals itself.
Each piece is the product of countless decisions about proportion, balance, structure and light distribution.
Interestingly, the design process remains largely analogue.
While many contemporary product designers rely heavily on CAD software and 3D modelling, Mat's ideas begin with pencil sketches and rough explorations. From there, prototypes are developed physically, refined through experimentation and adjusted by eye.
"It's more of a suck-it-and-see approach," he says.
That instinctive methodology stems from a lifetime spent working with materials. A cabinet-maker by training, he understands timber not simply as a manufacturing medium but as a living material with unique characteristics and limitations.
Wood remains central to his work, although his fascination extends to stone, leather, clay, flax and metals.
"All of these materials have a soul" he says. "They don't look worse with wear and tear, they look better."
The influence of Scandinavian design runs deep. Raised among Danish furniture and objects through his mother's heritage, he developed an appreciation for restraint, functionality and timelessness from an early age. His father, an architectural designer and painter, further shaped his understanding of proportion, colour and composition.
References range from the Bauhaus movement and Philippe Starck to New Zealand lighting pioneer David Trubridge and artist Jeff Thomson, whose transformation of humble corrugated iron into works of beauty left a lasting impression.
Yet despite these influences, Maker's aesthetic is distinctly its own. Perhaps that stems from working somewhat outside traditional design circles and spending much of his creative life in relative isolation. Rather than seeing this as a limitation, Mat credits the surrounding landscape with providing clarity and inspiration.
Time spent trail running, sailing and diving allows ideas to surface naturally. "If you make space, things come." The same measured approach guides his business.
Maker Design Studio remains intentionally lean, built around collaboration rather than expansion. Fabrication, distribution and marketing are supported through longstanding partnerships, allowing him to focus on what he values most: designing and making.
Trend cycles hold little appeal. Instead, he's interested in longevity - creating pieces that feel as relevant in a decade as they do today. Sustainability, material integrity and circular thinking all play a role. Looking ahead, new products are on the horizon, but bespoke commissions continue to hold particular appeal. They offer, says Mat, the opportunity for deeper collaboration and a more personal design journey.
