Laura McCusker

I believe in authenticity and differentiation. Globalisation has meant that you can buy the same things whether you’re in Oslo or Osaka. How depressing. I think that having something made just for you is much nicer, and the quality is often better too. You can choose the size, shape and timber type to suit how you live and you get something truly unique

"Good design, for me, exists in the overlap between art, craft and the trades. It needs to perform its function well, bring pleasure to the end user and be ethically made.

I used to think good design was to be found mostly in the cannon of Internationalist modernity, Prouve, Eames, Corbusier ... big men with big names, but this classical style has become so ubiquitous, everything ends up looking the same. The vernacular has been lost along with the mark of the human hand. I think that the centuries-old artisanal crafts still have validity, and even more so in the current climate.

The older I get, the more I come to realise that good design is often found where objects are produced in quantity, by hand by small scale and local makers, often relatively inexpensive, accessible, functional in everyday life and representative of the region in which they were produced. That's what good design means to me."

Laura has been building furniture professionally for over 20 years. She is a classically trained fine woodworker and cabinet maker with experience in boat building, fit outs and traditional freestanding pieces. Yes, she is female and yes, she still manages all this blokey stuff whilst looking elegant and sophisticated. Mostly.

Online Store

View Laura's Barcode Screen, presented by Design Tasmania at:

Melbourne Design Fair 22

View Laura's Screen, Bench and Side Table presented as part of the Tasmanian Salon for Denfair 2.0:

Tasmanian Salon