The Silver LiningMaeker Studio
More and more I’ve been learning the importance of living better and living bigger. And by bigger and better I don’t mean more luxurious or more expensive or more exclusive. I mean taking your life and your intentions in your own two hands and resolving to live, for want of a better term, as a good human being. Not necessarily always taking the easy road but consciously choosing the slower, perhaps more difficult way in order to achieve your own personal goals and ensure the just treatment of your own fellow men and women.
I get the sense that these are the kind of people Spencer and Marie-Clare are striving, nay, achieving at being, whether they’re actually consciously trying or just have it innately in them or perhaps a bit of both. After meeting them at the inaugural Cranmore Home Winter Workshop earlier this year and getting to touch their silky smooth dining table (that’s not weird at all) we finally caught up again with the pair in their own Fremantle workshop tucked in the basement of Many6160.
In the workshop, we’re surrounded by many pieces of wood in a multitude of tones and shapes, all awaiting their new calling in life. Currently in the pipeline are some magnificent benches for Cranmore Home made from timber reclaimed from an old dam in WA’s southwest region. There are other equally stunning pieces, including an almost-finished dining table with multiple perfect inlays (the kind that I call bow ties but have since learnt are called Dutchman wood joints) and brass accents. Said table would have come home with me if I drove a ute rather than a hatchback and had some extra dosh. But that’s okay, our time will come.
What strikes me most is their utmost commitment to their beliefs and work ethos – to produce beautiful to hold and behold masterpieces of furniture from recycled, reclaimed and found timber. Pieces that will last and stay with you and your family for lifetimes to come and be treasured, continually passing down the ever important message of sustainability. They think not just about themselves but for the future of the generations to come. And did I mention what an amazing little family they have? They make parenting sound like the most organic and natural thing to do! Marie-Clare is pretty much my ultimate Mummy-crush. They are both so clearly in love with being parents of two (plus one soon!) who truly live and breathe what they believe in. Think I’m exaggerating? Well, Milly their three-year-old is already getting in on the action and sanding her own wooden boards with gusto! That’s about as good a sign as any!
There are many ways to get some Maeker into your own home. Hit them up on their website or, to see some of their awe-inspiring work in person, Spencer and Marie-Clare will be at the upcoming York Bzzaar happening soon on Saturday October 25th and Sunday October 26th. Aside from furniture, they’ll soon be offering a range of homewares, custom lighting, and they also do bespoke bedroom, kitchen and bathroom fitouts (that’s a yes from me!).
Remember to support our independent, local businesses, particularly ones like Maeker who stand for so much more than the almighty dollar sign. Next time you’re making a purchase for your home, rather than buying ten cheap things that will likely be found in landfill a few years down the track, consider and invest in that one timeless, well made piece that will grace your home and your kids’ homes for a long, long time.
Maeker Studio / Facebook / Instagram / MANY6160, Kings Square, Fremantle / spencer@maekerstudio.com
Want to try your own hand at “maeking” something? Find out about small group workshops here or contact Spencer to organise your own.
Product photos courtesy of Maeker Studio
The Silver Lining 