Collection: Michael Attwood

I am a financial specialist turned industrial designer, driven by a deep passion for creation. I seek out overlooked and discarded pieces of Australian wood, rescuing them from firewood piles and the woodchipper. The satisfaction lies in the transformative process—carving away the rough, unremarkable exterior to reveal the hidden beauty within. Each piece is an adventure, a quest for buried treasure.

My expertise lies in woodturning, crafting a range of items including vases, bowls, and platters. I embrace the "flaws" —celebrating cracks, holes, and bark sections or filling them with resin, then polishing them to a glassy finish. Each of my pieces is crafted with meticulous care, dedicating many hours to achieve a smooth, refined finish. I employ a range of finishing products, with a preference for oils and waxes.

When opportunities present themselves, I harvest slabs and larger sections from trees brought down by nature. These are carefully stored and left to mature for years before finding new life as dining tables, coffee tables, console tables, and office desks. They often retain their natural live edge or are enhanced with resin, creating captivating "river tables".

Based in my Dandenong Ranges studio, I am a solo, independent designer-maker. In 2022, I proudly earned a Bachelor of Industrial Design with First-Class Honours from RMIT University.