The Serving Men of New Zealand Studio Furniture, 1979 to 2008

Abstract

New Zealand’s first comprehensive research on its furniture making history (1830-1900) was published in 2006. This paper adds to that history by summarizing the record of studio furniture, defined as one-of-a-kind and individually made. The narrative begins with studio furniture’s inaugural collective incorporation in 1978, its growth and peak through the 1980s and its disappearance from public view towards the dawn of the new millennium. The state of studio furniture design and making today concludes the discussion.