Sam James from Sam James Furniture in his workshop in Tauranga, New Zealand.
Real talent sings.
And when talent and exemplary design meet,
the result can be something truly special.
Handcrafted With Love. Honed By Dedication.
In the pursuit of perfection, we at LyZadie Design have resolved to only work with the best craftspeople on offer. It’s clear from the moment we find them that they share our dedication to creating the most sumptuous and exclusive work possible. It’s like watching music in motion.
When we watch a musician lost in playing a piece of music, we know that their sound will never be repeated in the same way. For us at LyZadie Design, this irreplaceable exclusivity is at the heart of our pursuit of perfection. When an item is handcrafted, it is truly, utterly, unique. There is a poetry in the product. Something of the soul of New Zealand retained by shaping it by hand. This is the music of working with the best. So at LyZadie Design, we seek out talent, skill, and experience to create this exclusivity, and have enjoyed working and collaborating with the very best makers New Zealand has to offer.
The ReLEATHERED Sideboard handmade by Sam James Furniture, PLN Group and Powersurge (top), The Black Tree Fern Side/Coffee Table handmade by Treology and Powersurge (left) and the Flow Dining Table handmade by Treology (right).
A Who’s Who Of The Talented Craftspeople We Collaborate With
It can sometimes take a long time to find the right hands to hold and realize a collection. Knowing a craft inside and out takes dedication and focus, and finding the team or person who can weave their skills with our designs takes commitment. We have driven up and down the length of New Zealand in this search, but every time we find the right team or right person, it’s as if a spark is ignited and the idea burns even brighter for having found its maker. Pouring over drawings, sketching ideas in sawdust, catching the inspiration in the air, we do whatever it takes to pass our concept into their capable hands, and the outcome has been so exciting.
Thus far we have six wonderful teams/makers dedicated to different materials in our growing catalogue:
Treology Tréology was created in 2011 by Andrew and Melany-Jayne Davies. With a 150 year family legacy of luxury furniture-making behind them, Andrew and Melany-Jayne wanted to combine this traditional craftsmanship with contemporary art and design. They also wanted to share their love of the New Zealand landscape through functional art with clients throughout the world. This has lead them to collaborate with LyZadie Design on the Flow Collection: a range of luxury furniture that is inspired by the braided rivers of New Zealand’s South Island. With running brass and rescued river Rimu, the collection holds true to Tréology’s philosophy of connecting people and celebrating the wonder of nature. And with our designs and their focus on sourcing sustainable materials and impeccable craftsmanship, every piece in the Flow and Black Tree Fern collections is timeless.
Treology in the workshop: The Flow and the Black Tree Fern Collections.
We value craftsmanship as a luxury, having something that is made by hand and by true artisans is a rare and special experience.
Powersurge Their tagline of Artistry in Steel is no understatement. The team at Powersurge have a keen eye for beauty and a delicate hand with construction that belies the sharp strength of their material. Having worked with them on several architectural projects in the past, they were an obvious choice to add to the collaboration team for a new collection that holds metal at its core. Working together is both exciting and inspiring, and it is a privilege to work with such talented craftspeople. The latest project we worked on together is the Black Tree Fern Collection and they also make the metal parts for the ReLEATHERED Collection.
Powersurge in the metal workshop: The Black Tree Fern and the ReLEATHERED Collections.
“We want to illustrate how big an effect tailor made furniture have on the overall experience of a space… We feel there’s a strong need for designing objects that we as humans can experience with more of our senses and feel connected to on a deeper level.”
Frederik Werner
Monmouth Glass Studio With two of the best glass artists in New Zealand at the helm, Monmouth Glass Studio was a natural choice for us when we wanted to bring the fire and light of glass into a new collection. Isaac and Stephen are working on a number of projects for us, most recently the White Cloud Collection. Watching them at work is like seeing the heart of the earth open up and let out its magic. We are learning so much from the mesmerizing process of watching these two experts work and we are impatient to share more of our creations handmade by them.
Isaac and Stephen in the glass studio: The White Cloud Collection.
Sam James Furniture There are some people that just have a natural affinity with producing beautiful, timeless furniture. Sam is one of those people and everything he touches seems to bare this stamp of quality and care. The ReLEATHERED Collection is born of a shared love of New Zealand timber and its warm, rich tones.
Sam in his workshop. The ReLEATHERED Collection.
PLN Group There is no substitute for experience. And that experience drives the staff at Finewood Furniture to demand excellence from every part of their construction process. In the cutting and sewing division, this means Saville Row precision is demanded in even the most unforgiving of upholstery fabrics. Equally, the cabinet makers focus on ensuring the framework of each and every piece of furniture is crafted well beyond what industry would consider standard. For thirty years they have crafted bespoke pieces for some of the world’s most exacting clients, and now we are excited to work with their talented team to bring to life one of our new collections.
PLN Group in the workshop and the meeting room. The Tui Collection.
True craftsmanship is a sacred search: our way of honouring nature.
Ronja Schipper By re-using under-valued resources for creating her design pieces, Ronja is aiming to highlight the relationship with our at risk environment. Her range of jewellery is hand made in NZ from discarded bike inner tube, cleaned & polished with massage oil & enhanced with new fittings. We were so privileged to collaborate with Ronja in our latest collection – the Tui Collection. Handmaking the feathers and fixing them to the Pinatex fabric is a unique experience.
We are proud to support local makers and businesses.
Moving From Spark To Finish
Turning ideas into reality is where the experience and dedication of our makers shine forth. We may have the spark of an idea, but rendering it into a physical form takes skill and knowledge, and sometimes a little nudge of the laws of physics! Different materials have different physical capabilities and different flaws and so the team from LyZadie Design Studio goes through a rigorous process with each maker to get their material and our design to work in harmony. Making work of the highest quality is the aim and seeing something that once only existed as a spark come to life is a pleasure that never gets dull.
And then it’s finished. A piece, a collection, a collaboration. But the friendships we have forged through the joint process of pushing the boundaries of materials and techniques are long lasting. Together we create products that are simply sumptuous, but more than that, they hold the soul of New Zealand in their depths. Spark to finish, idea to execution, people to product. This connection is priceless. From New Zealand, to the world, our makers bring forth our visions with skill, precision, excellence and grace.
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