Australian furniture champion bows out
MELBOURNE furniture maker Nicholas Dattner began championing Australian redgum a quarter of a century ago at a time when it was regarded only as good firewood.
He staunchly denies the impending store closures Sydney in November and Melbourne in February are related to “health or wealth” or the advent of mass-produced, flat-packed chipboard furniture through stores such as Ikea and Freedom Furniture.
“I have great respect for a company like Ikea, but I’m at the other end of the spectrum,” he said.
“I have always been obsessed with making things that last hundreds of years a table that you would sit around until you die, as will your children and your grandchildren.”
He said he was most inspired to make fine tables by his fur merchant father’s fondness for grand dinner parties at Eltham during his childhood, in an era when only antiques were prized.
“Like some kind of evangelist, I wanted to put our native hardwoods on the same pedestal as imported timbers and I have succeeded in doing that,” he said.
In an era of heightened environmental awareness, Mr Dattner argued more native hardwoods should be used, as greater appreciation would aid preservation.
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