Meet the women turning bicycle tyres and timber offcuts into furniture

A new generation of women woodworkers is redefining furniture design by giving discarded materials, such as bicycle tires and timber offcuts, a new life. These artisans are thriving in small design studios, championing circular economy ideals and sustainable practices while forging a fresh narrative in the design world that is both emotive and cutting-edge.

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I like to use timbers that are readily available, as opposed to rare timbers.

Their innovative creations are featured in this year's Melbourne Design Week, an event that brings together Australian makers specializing in furniture, lighting, and homewares. The article highlights four artists who are making a name for themselves in a field traditionally dominated by men.

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There's a demand for the handmade, and through the pieces I create, people understand why the craft is so precious.

Isabel Avendaño-Hazbún, a multidisciplinary artist, has developed a unique upholstery material from discarded rubber bicycle tires sourced from local bike shops. She integrates this material into her chair designs, inspired by nautical knots. Avendaño-Hazbún prioritizes using readily available timbers like Tasmanian oak and Victorian ash, focusing on the ecological impact of her work and promoting a sustainable model of production. She emphasizes the value of handmade items and the problem-solving inherent in furniture creation, noting how the rubber weave adds friction and elasticity to timber chairs.

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The industry is definitely changing; there's more women making furniture, and diversity in terms of queer representation too.

Furniture designer Jess Humpston works with timber offcuts to create new furniture pieces, utilizing waste materials for new expressions. Her work, which often features interlocking joints and an architectural aesthetic, gives recycled materials a new purpose. Humpston observes a positive shift in the industry, with more women and queer individuals entering the field, making it more inclusive and comfortable. Having transitioned from fashion to furniture design, she creates pieces that are both sculptural and functional, demonstrating a pivot towards sustainable practices and diverse representation in the design space.

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It's more inclusive, more comfortable to work in this space, and you don't have to shrink and make yourself too small to be here, you can just be.