American Hardwood Export Council's Community project

"Community' project makers, left to right: Ted Synnott (NZ), Simeon Dux (Melbourne), Dieter Ingles (NZ), Vivienne Wong (Melbourne) and Nae Tanakorn (Melbourne).

The American Hardwood Export Council (AHEC) has launched Community, a new project following five of Australia and New Zealand's talented designer makers as they each create an original piece of furniture in American hardwoods.

Fine furniture is widely admired, but the process and skill behind its creation, and the material it's made from may not get the same attention. Community sets out to change that, sharing a look inside the workshop as it happens: the thinking, the technique, and the evolution of a design as it takes shape in the maker's hands.

The project also reflects something central to how designer makers work – a community that shares ideas, approaches, workloads, even tools and studio space. Three Melbourne-based designer makers, Simeon Dux, Vivienne Wong and Nae Tanakorn and Dieter Ingles and Ted Synnott from Auckland, will each develop a piece using American red oak, cherry or maple.

Their process from first concept through to a finished piece across 2026 will be documented and shared as it unfolds across social channels.

The finished designs are not the ending. On completion of their piece, each designer will nominate a new participant in the project, thus extending and expanding the Community collaboration.

Follow the journey on AHEC's Instagram page at @ahec_anz.