Under the direction of second-generation designer Luke Makris,
the legacy of Beilby’s Furniture is being recalibrated, extending
beyond the production of furniture into a more considered,
collaborative way of working – bringing new opportunities
into the fold as a result.
Defined by a commitment to local manufacturing, material integrity and enduring craft, Beilby’s Furniture has operated as a South Australian family owned business for over 40 years. Its legacy is one of longevity, where pieces hold their relevance across decades.
“Having someone who’s on the same page is what makes a great collaboration,” Makris reflects. “There needs to be a shared understanding to be able to strike the right balance between what is possible and making it function properly. When that alignment is there, the process becomes much more natural.” It is this alignment that underpins how this Woodforde residence came to be, where the relationship between architecture and furniture is not applied or developed independently, but instead embedded as a core part of the process of design and making.
Designed by Nathan Ngo, the residence unfolds as a composition of quiet moments of restraint amongst more expressive elements. Vertical western red cedar lamellas and carefully framed openings establish a dialogue between interior and landscape, allowing light and shadow to move across surfaces throughout the day, animating an otherwise calm and composed base palette. “The home is imagined as a place of balance,” Nathan explains, “where material clarity and spatial order create a sense of calm that feels both resolved and enduring.”
It is within this framework that Beilby’s Furniture finds its most refined
expression. Rather than furnishing the home post-completion, Luke was engaged early – allowing each piece to respond directly to the architecture. “The furniture was developed as an extension of the home’s language,” says Luke. “Nathan’s approach set a strong framework, and we translated that across form and proportion.”
This interchange is evident in pieces such as the Slate lounge, its layered, linear composition echoing the rhythm of the cedar lamellas, and the Pebble seating configuration, which introduces a softer, grounded counterpoint to the home’s more structured elements. Together, they establish a continuity across scales – where architecture, interior and object feel inherently connected.
The project also reflects a deeper shift within Beilby’s practice – one
that is being explored through the creation of Sydney Oscar – a design-led extension of the business developed collaboratively by Luke and Nathan. Positioned between furniture and architecture, Sydney Oscar operates less as a product line and more as a framework for project-based work.
“From my experience, people do want locally made products, but they just don’t always know where to find them,” Luke says. “Sydney
Oscar is about delivering the highest quality without compromise, while bringing the client into the process. It’s taking what we’ve always done at Beilby’s and approaching it in a more design-led, collaborative way.”
For Luke, this shift toward more integrated, collaborative work signals a broader ambition.
At this Woodforde residence, this approach is felt most clearly in the way the home responds to its owner. A retired anaesthesiologist, the client sought a space that was calm, resolved and uncluttered – a retreat defined by clarity and ease. “There was a strong emphasis on cleanliness and material integrity,” Luke notes. “Pieces that provide relaxation, that contribute to a space that feels like a sanctuary.”
Having previously acquired key Beilby’s pieces, the client approached the project with an openness to explore something more tailored – furniture that could reflect both her lived experience and her sense of
individuality. The result is a series of objects that move beyond function, instead shaping how the home is experienced day to day.
For Luke, this shift toward more integrated, collaborative work signals a broader ambition. “Locally made furniture is often overlooked,” he says. “But it gives you the ability to respond directly to a space, rather than working around standardised products. The quality is here – we stand behind what we produce.”
In this Woodforde residence, that ethos is realised with clarity and consideration. It is a project that brings together the legacy of Beilby’s Furniture, the architectural sensibility of Nathan Ngo, and the emerging direction of Sydney Oscar. The underpinning principles of
legacy, enduring quality and activating local design and makers is key, and is the cornerstone of each of these expressions.
Beilby’s Furniture
12 Circuit Dr, Hendon SA 5014
(08) 7226 1351
South Australian Style Magazine 