Duncan Meerding Design

I am a furniture and lighting designer based in Hobart, Tasmania. Working with a range of materials, my designs draw heavily from the vast natural beauty of the Tasmanian wilderness. With a focus on form and texture, much of my work features organic curving lines inspired by the local landscape. Many of my designs highlight the highly tactile nature of the materials used, embracing their natural characteristics, such as the bark that still clings to the objects in the Cracked Log series. The relationship between light and shadow and light dispersion are also integral to my design process. Being legally blind with less than 5% of my sight remaining, the vision of light emanating from the peripheries of the different objects, reflect the alternative sensory world within which I design. Rather than focus on quick-moving trends, each design is created with a focus on longevity. By combining traditional hand-made techniques, modern manufacturing technologies and small-scale production, each object is built to last. Sustainability and care for the environment are present in every step of the design/making process at Duncan Meerding Design. The majority of timber used is sourced either from what was ‘waste’ materials or else from faster-growing, robust timber varieties. As the practice has grown, care has been taken to insure that we stay true to the core principles of environmental sustainability, ethical practice and the relationship between the maker, the object and the customer.