Page 45 - Australian Wood Review №103 2019

PROFILE

s we witness the development of
Aartificial intelligence, robotics
and machine learning, things made
by human hands are likely to become
more surprising.

Byron Raleigh, 43 trades under the
name Artefact Furniture, a name
that draws attention to its essence

and is spelt out on his website: ‘Ar-
te-fact: An object made by a human
being, typically an item of cultural or
historical interest.’
1

It’s a positioning statement for a

business that espouses traditional Around four years ago, with some Opposite: Byron Raleigh in
his well ordered workshop in
values: solid timber furniture, traditional income from the central Victorian
Northcote, Victoria.
joinery, high quality, made to last. farm he grew up on, Byron had the Photo: Linda Nathan
ability to take his workshop from 1. Byron’s Femur chair started

And yet, while Byron sees that touch home to a small factory that he with an idea for a form
that would be ‘flowing,
of humanity as the defining element leased and has now populated with seamless’. ‘The shapes are
for what he makes, he loves machines fine ‘mid-century’ machinery and nested somewhat to come
out of 150 x 38mm without
and is inspired by what they offer. He other tools.
too much waste, and the
speaks quietly but has strong views, front leg comes out of
the offcut.’ Photo: Marc
many of which at first seem opposing. For those who appreciate such things
Buckner
it’s a beautiful space. It gleams with
2. Design is a process that
He owns older but top of the line the pride of order and considered starts with sketches and
machines to produce not volumes arrangement. On the walls and then moves into scale
cardboard models like
of work but, it seems, for the joy of shelves are jigs, templates and the ones shown below.
appreciating the consistency and prototypes for designs that have been The next step is full scale
prototypes which allow
accuracy of what they can do. He developed and constructed over time.
joinery techniques to be
loves their build quality: it’s likely he’ll nutted out. Photo: Linda
never have to replace them. What is it he likes about making Nathan

things? ‘I like the autonomy; being a
He designs furniture with production master of your own time, and it’s the
efficiencies in mind, but is not discovery of making as well’, said
concerned with producing those Byron. Without being totally reliant

designs en masse. on income from furniture making

2
He wants to make affordable
furniture and objects, even
though the scale of his

production is small and
high profit margins are not
possible.

He is a country person
who lives in the city…and
sometimes wonders why,
but accepts that he is now
a ‘hybrid’.

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