When an Australian studio is selected to show at the Milan Furniture Fair, we sit up and pay attention. Alice Blackwood speaks with Another Small Studio, ahead of their departure to Milan.

The two designers behind Melbourne-based practice Another Small Studio sport a diversity of design experience ­– with life experience to match.

Co-founder and object designer Tom Shaw started out in Manchester, and has lived and worked in the UK and Japan. He currently works as Design Manager for Australian furniture brand, Jardan.

Fellow studio founder and spatial designer, Linda Raimondo studied in Melbourne before working for firms across Europe and Asia.

Shaw and Raimondo’s move to Australia, coupled with the establishment of their studio, has born a boutique collection of furniture and objects that gain inspiration from past home cities while also catering for the nomadic lifestyle.

“The nomadic concept initially came about from having to sell all our furniture when we moved from London to Melbourne,” says Raimondo.

“Designing the products to be easily assembled and disassembled hopefully means we can sell Australian designed and made furniture internationally,” she says.

Invited to exhibit at the Salone Satellite, the duo quickly recognised the opportunity for gaining global exposure while also promoting Australian design internationally.

“We’re really going into Milan with an open mind as you never know who you may meet,” says Raimondo.

“As a designer you always want to continue to learn, so if you get the opportunity to collaborate with an established brand or manufacturer it’s something you have to grab with both hands.

“Through our work we’ve also built up a some good relationships with manufacturers in Australia, Europe and Asia, so we can offer retailers and suppliers finished products knowing we have the support of good manufacturing behind us.”

Another Small Studio’s first collection, to be launched at the fair, encompasses the Omoto Bench which is constructed using three components.

Paying homage to Tokyo, the Omoto is held together by gravity, the leg components using traditional dry joints.

Another piece, the NW6 Clock is designed for the 24-hour city, while the Preston Table, made with Melbourne in mind, features intriguing graphical elements.

“One of the main thoughts behind Another Small Studio was to create well-designed products but without the designer price tag,” says Raimondo.

“In creating a kind of ‘affordable design’ we were also conscious of quality. A well-designed product needs to have longevity in [design and manufacture].”

With a firm eye on the global marketplace, Another Small Studio is steadfast in their commitment to living and working in Australia.

“We see so many talented designers going to Europe to work with manufacturers, but for us it would be amazing to see more Australian manufactures doing what Jardan does, for example: nurturing young product designers to create an established design industry here in Australia,” says Shaw.

Another Small Studio

anothersmallstudio.com.au