Canberra roots: Sarah Gibson on starting her own global furniture design company

This one is a true homegrown success story. Born and raised in Canberra, Sarah Gibson flew the coop to study industrial design at UTS in Sydney, co-founded a company and has since returned to see her roots set in and grow.

Canberra often finds itself the butt of jokes, made by our bigger city friends, but there is no denying that we nourish and tend amazing talent. Gibson and her playful furniture designs are certainly proof of that.

Immediately after graduating university, Gibson and fellow designer Nick Karlovasitis wasted no time in starting their own furniture and homeware design company, DesignByThem. Fifteen years have passed, and the innovative duo is still creating, crafting and making.

“Nick and I started DesignByThem to promote Australian design and this is what drives us every day,” says Gibson.

“We work on designs together … always with a healthy dose of debates and scepticism. I love the collaboration process of DesignByThem, whether that be with the amazing team we have in Sydney or external designers we collaborate with.”

As the name suggests, DesignByThem is an inherently holistic company. Gibson and Karlovastitis have amassed a curated collection of designers and manufacturers that all take on the identic moniker of “them”.

But how do two multiple creative thinkers and doers come together and decide on a specific design?

“We want each designer to put their own stamp on the design, but we also like the collection to represent the brand’s core design values,” Gibson says.

“Most importantly, the product has to be minimal but with a sense of character. Finding this balance is crucial and often hard to articulate.”

I asked Gibson how she would describe the DesignByThem style. “Minimal but fun” was her surprisingly succinct, though exactly accurate, reply. Take one look at the Cabin armchair, with its retro yet somehow simultaneous futuristic feel and there is no mistaking there is imaginative work at play here.

Then there’s the Confetti range which merges perhaps the most frivolous party garnish with smooth sleek lines and bold shapes. If the furniture of DesignByThem were a person, they’d be utterly wholesome while offering a little wink as they walked by.

The “confetti” element of the Confetti range is actually 100 per cent recycled plastic that is melted down inside a hot rotating mould. The small pieces of plastic stick to the side forming a wall of speckled colour making each piece completely unique.

“We love using different materials, much like using different ingredients when cooking. It makes the design process more interesting and challenging,” Gibson says.

“The only requirement is that the material is sustainable and sustainably produced. On top of this, there is the given that the products must comfortable, affordable and well-made.”

Australian made and high quality has been at the core of DesignByThem since its inception, even initially when money and funding were tight. Gibson coyly shared that she and Karlovasitis had to take out personal loans from the bank under the guise of getting a giant inflatable pool they “needed” for a pool party.

In reality, the funds went towards skilled craftsmanship and machinery, things they weren’t willing to sacrifice.

“In the past couple of years our main challenge has been exporting Australian designs,” Gibson says.

“It’s taken a few years to get off the ground but now it’s a booming part of our business and we’re super excited about seeing our growth overseas, particularly in America. It’s wonderful to see Australian design be so sought-after over American design.”

• DesignByThem will be auctioning off their DL Lounge Chair as part of Canberra Design Festival opening party and auction on November 8 at the Fitters’ Workshop in Kingston.