07/06/2026
20 years ago at 22 I headed off to Italy in my 4th year as an industrial design student to exhibit my furniture at the Milan Furniture Fair, SaloneSatellite.
I was so excited. I’ve always loved design, right from when I left school and studied character animation because I loved drawing, then later industrial design at university where I got hooked on turning ideas into real 3D things.
Back then I thought my career would be furniture design.
Fast forward 20 years and I’m heading back to the other side of the world again, this time to exhibit with Outside The Box Caskets in the UK. From furniture to funerals. Life takes you in some interesting directions that’s for sure.
The thinking hasn’t really changed though. I still believe good design belongs everywhere, even in a casket. That’s where the whole idea for Outside The Box came from after my nana’s funeral.
Found these old photos the other day too. Leaving NZ carting my ridiculously massive bench design. Clearly no regard for freight costs back then, even a TV interview before we left.
Can’t wait to do it all again at the NFE. Watch this space. More to come….