Established in Wagga, NSW some 30 years ago, Eclipse Handcrafted Furniture is a local manufacturer who continues to buck the trend. The company has had a high success rate, says founder and manager Ross Triffitt, and now has a showroom in Sydney in addition to one in its home town.
Eclipse specialises in furniture made from timber species sourced from eco-friendly and sources. ‘My passion for this business lies in the beautiful eucalypt timbers that we use which are nearly all salvaged timbers from dead trees on private properties’, he said.
Stock lines are not produced, Ross said. ‘We can’t afford to wholesale. We need to get full margins on what we produce. We’ve survived on made to order as over the years I’ve learnt how to draw from clients exactly what they want so we can make to their exact needs and budget.’
Ross is not a furniture maker but loves the design side of things. He started off retailing furniture and then after nine years or so started his own manufacturing base which has now grown to employ nine makers.
‘I was brought up on a farm and I’m practically minded’, said Ross. ‘I could go on the tools as well, but my focus is designing and running the business’. Ross’s wife Julie is also a core part of the business and manages the finances and also keeps an eye on quality control.
The table shown was a special order, made for DDB, a creative agency in Surry Hills, Sydney. Ross explained: ‘The brief was simple, they wanted a large round table with large hole in the centre and this is what we have come up with. It’s my design and one of my clever craftsmen built it. It will be used by DDB's creative team to sit at to discuss projects in the casual manner that companies like these work in nowadays’.
The top has been created from redgum salvaged from different trees with sections selected for variation in figure but grain matched for a balanced look. 'It's now a showcase for one of Australia's most iconic trees', said Ross.
Learn more about Eclipse Handcrafted Furniture at eclipsefurniture.com.au
By Linda Nathan, Wood Review Editor
