What to know: the craftsmanship behind bespoke furniture design
Written by
20 February 2024
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4 min read
A small, third-generation family business, Rose & Heather has been producing beautiful handcrafted furniture pieces since the late 1970s.
With the first workshop located along Cleveland Road in Parnell, showrooms soon opened in Newmarket, Remuera, Herne Bay and Christchurch through the 1980s. By 1995, Rose & Heather products could be purchased from stores across both New Zealand and Australia.
The talented craftspeople behind the creations have been honing their skills with the company for almost just as long, with the longest-serving cabinet maker on the team having been there for 35 years. Others who started as apprentices a decade ago are also still at Rose & Heather, crafting pieces at the local workshop.
Despite changing times, trends and technology, the brand has remained faithful to handcrafting exceptional furniture pieces where the beauty lies in great design.
Pared-back, beautiful designs that honour and showcase traditional techniques
Working with ancient swamp Kauri from Northland for classic ranges such as Trenail, Tumblehome and Eden, as well as American Ash for contemporary lines such as Newport and Christopher Elliott, the handcrafted detailing is what makes each Rose & Heather piece special.
Take the Newport Sofa Chair, for example. “There’s a little wedge and peg on top of the arm that’s a 16th-century boat building technique – it’s the way the HMS Endeavour was built and it’s a structural element forming the design,” says Martin Bell, managing director at Rose & Heather.
“When we design something, a lot of the structural element is the design, so we don’t need to decorate. It results in a much simpler, more honest piece of furniture. When you show the way things are made, there’s nothing to hide.”
While there is a focus on designs to remain current with changing lifestyles and needs, the process of making each piece has not changed: “We stay faithful to the traditional techniques.”
When you show the way things are made, there’s nothing to hide.
The Bailey Table is another showcase of the talent and craftsmanship that goes into making a Rose & Heather design.
“The curves and shapes of this piece can only really be achieved by a draw blade and spokeshave, rather than a CNC. The furniture we make is reasonably labour-intensive, but the result is a product of craftsmanship,” says Bell.
Made to size, the Bailey Table reflects the elegant early lines of the ‘golden era’ of yachting.
“Half models of the intended designs were carefully crafted by our early boat builders,” says Bell.
“Once happy with the shape of these hulls, often 18 inches or 2 feet long, they would ‘loft’ the lines onto the floor of their workshop and create full-size plans of the intended boat from these early prototypes – all done with the keen eye of the craftsman.
“It is with this attention to graceful lines and technique in mind that we have produced the Bailey Table. Using traditional techniques and tools such as the draw blade and spokeshave, these tables are crafted by hand and eye to an almost silky, fluid finish.
“The Bailey is a tribute to the skill and passion of New Zealand’s early shipwrights.”
The handmade nature of the furniture also means it can be refurbished.
“We’ve had pieces we made 40 years ago come back into our workshop for a little bit of TLC. We do refurbishment work on pieces we have made and we deliver it back to the customer. That relationship starts all over again because we return it to the condition it was originally made. When you make things well, you can do that to pieces – it makes our products one of the most sustainable pieces you can buy.”
Custom designs
As well as Rose & Heather’s repertoire of 200 pre-designed furniture pieces, custom designs can also be made – a process that will be further streamlined with Rose & Heather soon moving into a purpose-built site that will combine its workshop and showroom.
“The new workshop will open in April and we will be on hand to offer the expertise that we have built in developing our products over the years,” says Bell.
What is the process of working with Rose & Heather when ordering a bespoke design?
Following a consultation, the Rose & Heather team will produce a detailed sketch of the desired product.
“We can share our input and experience in terms of what’s possible, the balance of the piece, and provide a cost. Once we’ve got those details confirmed with the timber and the finish, the product will go into production.”
Explore more of Rose & Heather’s made-to-order products here or get in touch to learn more about bespoke furniture pieces.
We also welcome your enquiry using the form below.