Fairlie Dining Table

Commissioned in 2021 by Kennedy Nolan Architects, the Fairlie Dining Table was created for a carefully restored apartment within the iconic Fairlie Apartments in South Yarra. Originally designed by Yuncken Freeman, the building overlooks the Royal Botanic Gardens and is regarded as one of Melbourne's most significant mid-century apartment buildings.

The brief called for an organically shaped eight-seat dining table, designed around one of the clients' hearing impairment. The form needed to create a more intimate setting for everyday use—allowing conversation to flow comfortably between the couple—while still accommodating larger gatherings where everyone could remain included.

The design evolved through numerous iterations, exploring the tabletop geometry, colour, and overall form. Both the clients and project architect Adriana Hanna were generous with creative freedom throughout.

American white oak was selected in response to the apartment's warm material palette—travertine flooring, linen joinery, Venetian plaster ceilings, and the western light filtering through the trees of the Royal Botanic Gardens.

One of the defining details emerged entirely by accident. While preparing technical drawings illustrating the seating arrangement, I inadvertently left an X-ray view active, revealing the geometry of the leg structure through the tabletop. Rather than questioning the drawing, the client immediately responded to the composition and asked whether that geometry could become a visible feature of the table itself. That unexpected moment led to the development of the end-grain inlay detail, which became the signature element of the piece. Executing it required almost a week of meticulous routing, cutting, and hand finishing to achieve the precision the design demanded.

Installed just before Christmas in 2022, the project also became the most challenging installation to date. The tabletop was carefully carried by hand up six flights of stairs, negotiating exceptionally tight landings and pivoting around every stair handrail before finally reaching the apartment. It remains one of the most memorable installations we've undertaken.

Following completion, the Fairlie Dining Table marked a turning point for the studio. It reinforced the value of trusting the design process, embracing unexpected discoveries, and pursuing uncompromising craftsmanship—laying the foundation for a more expressive design language that continues to evolve through every project since.

Featured in Vogue Living, international editorial press, and the book Art in Residence.