About

Conrad-S is a Melbourne-based furniture and design practice creating considered furniture and designed objects for everyday life.

The work begins with how a piece will be used, how it will sit within a space, how it should feel and how it can be made well. Function, proportion, material, construction and production are considered together rather than treated as separate parts of the process.

The Conrad-S collection includes furniture and objects for residential and commercial spaces, with selected furniture also able to be adapted through Made to Fit or developed further through custom and commercial projects.

Design Approach

Conrad-S is built around considered design.

That means looking beyond the appearance of an object and thinking through the complete piece: its function, proportions, materiality, construction, manufacturing process and the way someone will live with it.

Quality, craft and materiality are central to the work. Sustainability is also an important consideration, but rather than treating it as a blanket claim, Conrad-S looks closely at materials, manufacturing methods and production decisions as part of the design process.

Materials & Making

Timber remains an important material within Conrad-S, but it is one part of a broader design practice.

Furniture also incorporates metal, upholstery, engineered timber and other materials according to the requirements of each design. Conrad-S works with different materials and manufacturing processes where they serve the function, construction and character of the piece.

Timber work is made by Conrad in Taggerty, with metal fabrication and powder coating undertaken in Melbourne and upholstery in Brunswick.

CNC machining is one of the primary timber-production methods used by Conrad-S. Developing and refining manufacturing processes is an important part of the design work, particularly where conventional production methods do not achieve the intended result.

About Conrad

I began my design journey at my Melbourne high school, where I was drawn to the creative world of making and spent much of my spare time in the workshop.

I went on to study a Bachelor of Product Design at Parsons in New York City. After graduating, I interned and worked with design companies in New York and Amsterdam before returning to Australia.

I then worked at Kett for three years under the creative direction of Justin Hutchinson, designing and developing furniture. After leaving Kett, I spent several months working in community in North East Arnhem Land before returning to Melbourne and establishing Conrad-S.

Conrad-S brings those experiences together: design, making, manufacturing and an ongoing interest in how furniture and objects can become meaningful parts of everyday spaces.