In the beginning there was light – The Mr. Dowel Jones fixing-free rubber and oak standing lamp, to be precise – and RMIT industrial design students Dale Hardiman and Adam Lynch saw that it was good. Having collaborated on the lamp while part of Melbourne collective Lab De Stu, the pair realised they had the potential to spin this one-off project into a fully-fledged design brand.
Three years later, Dowel Jones (having taken the name of its debut product), is now one of the most exciting design studios operating in Melbourne. From a former mechanic’s garage in Preston, they produce chairs, tables, lighting, desk accessories, and whatever else they set their minds on – and help to furnish an ever-growing number of Australasia’s hottest bars, hotels and restaurants.