When husband and wife, Damo and Rebecca, began getting requests from friends and family for furniture after seeing pieces they had made in their home, Leÿer Timber Designs was born.
The pair who have a passion for architecture, interiors and home renovation were looking for a creative outlet they could do together. Damo has worked as a carpenter for 13 years and Rebecca as a creative Marketeer, and they’ve joined forces to create Leÿer — beautiful furniture with inspiring design.
Since publishing this article, Leyer has evolved from a furniture company into a bespoke design studio. They now offer everything from full interior design services to interior decorating.
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We realised there was a gap in the market for simply designed, locally made, and reasonably priced furniture for the home.
Rebecca describes their aesthetic as ‘simple, minimalistic and with a Japanese influence’.
“Being a Victorian based business, we are definitely big champions of our surrounds and of course the beautiful surf coast where we live.
“Many of the designs are inspired by Damo’s passions — surfing, skating and our two young daughters — like the gently curved outline of the Beater Coffee Table is inspired by the gentle lines of our daughter Millie’s first surfboard.”
One piece that really caught our eye in their debut collection is their ‘Layback mirror’. We asked where the inspiration came from.
Like most of our furniture, our ideas are born out of functionality first and foremost.
“Having moved through the rental market over the last few years, we had a strong desire to build pieces of furniture that could move with us. I also have a big hat collection and nowhere to hang them!,” laughs Rebecca.
“In terms of the design process, we wanted it to be a unique piece of furniture, that was really beautiful and a talking point of the home. The insert at the bottom was a choice for weight and stability for the mirror but turned into a nice little feature.
“Wall hooks are definitely having their moment and we thought it would be great to have the mirror and the hooks together as one piece. I have always admired the work of Zakkia Homewares and had my eye on her handmade concrete hooks for some time. We loved the look of raw concrete against the light timber and felt like it added to the minimalism of the piece.
“And the name, The Layback Mirror, came from a timeless move in surfing — Damo feels like this 6ft mirror leaning against the wall reminds him of that,” she explains.
As excited as Damo and Rebecca are to launch Leÿer, they already have plans to expand.
All the designs will evolve over time. We plan to expand the range from primarily bedroom pieces and small living room items, to include dining room tables and kitchen bench designs and hopefully retail fit-outs.
“We’re working on a dining table and TV console unit now which we’ll add to the range soon.”
You can see the full range of Leÿer Timber Designs on their website or connect with them on Instagram.
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Photography by Hail & Shine Photography