Shopping

The New Melbourne Brand Making Must-Have Minimalist Furniture

Melbourne designer Nick McDonald behind Made By Morgen has joined forces with his mentor and fellow maker Charles Sandford for a seamless new collaboration of timber furniture.

As Morgen & Sandford, the ‘woodworking buddies’ have created a line of curved coffee tables, dining chairs and even a beautiful bed-frame that’s all manufactured locally and sustainably – with impeccable craftsmanship.

Written
by
Christina Karras

The Morgen & Sandford showroom! Photo – Courtesy Morgen & Sandford

The conical dining table. Photo – Lillie Thompson. Art direction and styling – Bek Sheppard

Nick McDonald of Made By Morgen and business partner Charles Sandford. Photo – Courtesy Morgen & Sandford

More drops are already on the way from the experienced woodworking duo. Photo – Courtesy Morgen & Sandford

The brand’s refined pieces pair perfectly together. Photo – Lillie Thompson. Art direction and styling – Bek Sheppard

The arch bedside table. Photo – Lillie Thompson. Art direction and styling – Bek Sheppard

A dreamy dining table set-up! Photo – Lillie Thompson. Art direction and styling – Bek Sheppard

The quarter round bench seat. Photo – Lillie Thompson. Art direction and styling – Bek Sheppard

Photo – Lillie Thompson. Art direction and styling – Bek Sheppard

The quarter round sideboard. Photo – Lillie Thompson. Art direction and styling – Bek Sheppard

The nexus dining table and convex stools. Photo – Lillie Thompson. Art direction and styling – Bek Sheppard

The conical side table. Photo – Lillie Thompson. Art direction and styling – Bek Sheppard

The pillar bed. Photo – Lillie Thompson. Art direction and styling – Bek Sheppard

Writer
Christina Karras
26th of August 2022

Furniture designer Nick McDonald met Charles Sandford shortly after starting his own brand, Made By Morgen, back in 2015. The two clicked after being introduced by ‘mutual woodworking buddies’, bonding over their shared passion for enduring and sustainable pieces.

‘I’m always annoying him with questions, albeit technical or practical, given we do a lot of custom work so I’m often running ideas past him,’ Nick says. And with Charles’ extensive experience in the industry – crafting timber since 1973 with his own namesake business – he had plenty of wisdom to impart to Nick as an emerging craftsman.

‘I’ve been looking to build my business but have always been apprehensive in over capitalising,’ Nick says, with all Made By Morgan pieces being hand-crafted.

‘Charles Sandford Woodturning and Joinery are one of the largest timber manufacturers in Australia, but predominately do one-off custom pieces. It seemed like a no brainer to utilise my design and marketing strengths with Charlie’s state of the art facilities to create a range of products that can be manufactured locally and sustainably.’

After years in the making and some interruptions by the pandemic, Morgen & Sandford has finally released its first collection. Striking pieces include the arc bedside table and the conical dining table, that can be beautifully paired with the convex stools. Matching curves are showcased in the arc coffee table, while the quarter round sideboard is perfectly mid-century in its aesthetic.

The collaboration has also allowed Made By Morgen’s refined, Scandinavian-style designs to be made with shorter lead times thanks the latest woodworking computerised technology, ‘which is backed up by years of traditional craftmanship experience,’ Charles explains.

It’s the perfect merger of styles and techniques from the past and present, in one covetable range of wish-list worthy furniture.

Shop Morgan & Sandford’s furniture here.

Recent Shopping