It would be a lot more straightforward if interior designers could take a “one size fits all” approach to furniture. Imagine the ease of shopping if everything we purchased had a shapeless, Orwellian uniformity. Imagine the crushing boredom.
Thankfully, we live in a world of increasing diversity, where furniture makers are always looking at interesting solutions and adaptable, conscious design methods.
One such furniture company is Reddie, which was launched in 2016 by Andrew and Caroline Olah. Although still quite new to the market, it is quickly becoming a go-to destination for beautiful, hand-crafted minimalist furniture that can be altered to suit personal style. With over 1000 unique options in the Reddie collection, it’s a delightfully customisable approach that ensures designers and individuals can find the right material and style to shape a room.
The ‘Willy’ Dining Table from Reddie
Caroline and Andrew are a great partnership when it comes to business. Caroline worked as an interior architect for over ten years, while Andrew left his decade-long position at Google to help launch the business.
The idea for Reddie began to germinate while Caroline was working as an interior architect and searching for high quality items in an affordable bracket.
“I noticed both professionally and personally there were limited options for quality, hand-made, solid wood products at an attainable price. I also found that customising products for the general consumer was expensive and time consuming. I set out to create a furniture brand that had collections of timeless furniture where the customer could tailor each product online to suit their personal style”.
Where Reddie fills a niche in the design-savvy Australian market is for handmade and customisable products with a middle market price tag, which is hugely appealing.
The Suzy Sling Chair, Reddie
This can also be challenging to produce due to the high cost of logistics, operations and running a business. It wasn’t easy for Reddie to source a factory that could fulfill their requirements. Most factories are driven by volume and ease of manufacture. Reddie was asking a manufacturer to produce high quality furniture and customise orders without pushing the price up.
“After years of searching I found the perfect team in Indonesia (my place of heritage), where they have the best master-craftsmen in the world. Together we designed, developed and produced the collection available on our site today. They are inspiring craftsmen and masters of woodworking, constantly offering ideas and design details to enhance our product.”
Along with her personal background, Caroline’s professional heritage as an interior architect has been a major inspiration for the Reddie collection, along with the minimalism of Danish design.
The ‘Vinny’ Dining Table
Reddie are excited about exhibiting at Decor + Design in Melbourne this July 20 -23, which is a great opportunity to network with Australian designers and showcase their gorgeous pieces.
“I’m really looking forward to being able to connect with potential customers and clients to introduce our brand, as direct communication with our product visible is always the best way to get our story across”, says Caroline.
Reddie will be part of the boutique Design Laneway at Stand DL3. With over 250+ exhibitors, the VIVID design competition and Australian House & Garden International Seminar Series, this is Australia’s No.1 Interiors Show. Entry to the trade exhibition is free.