Richard Munao on being a curator and custodian of authentic design

From his early years at the workshop bench and servicing furniture in people’s homes, Richard learned that furniture is never just an object. It carries meaning and emotion. He wanted to become part of that storytelling: to share and advocate for the care and skill behind honest design. 

When he opened his first showroom, it wasn’t just a retail space. It was somewhere for original pieces to be experienced, for the stories and people behind them to be appreciated.

That moment was in the late 90s in Chippendale, a pocket of Sydney where art and culture were starting to take hold. Surrounded by workshops and warehouses, Corporate Culture welcomed its first customers, and over the next three decades, it became Cult as we know it today: a curated collection of furniture, lighting and objects for the spaces we live and work in.

At the heart of Cult is Richard’s commitment to authentic design. Drawn to brands with deep heritage, integrity and timeless relevance, like Danish masters Fritz Hansen, Carl Hansen and GUBI, and Italian designers like Zanotta, Cult has always had a focus on quality, rather than volume. For Richard, these brands represent more than enduring aesthetics. They come from cultures where design originality is celebrated and preserved. It’s a mindset he believes Australia can keep learning from as we continue building our own design identity, and one he has held close since day one. 

Cult has always been a platform for Australian designers to be seen, heard and supported. At the first Corporate Culture showroom opening, an exhibition was hosted for University of NSW students to display their work. More recently, with the launch of Cult’s own brand, nau, local designers have seen their creations in design capitals across the globe. “I saw Australian designers struggling to get their work overseas. I told them, ‘Give me your best and I’ll take it overseas one day,” says Richard. “We launched in New York, then Melbourne, Copenhagen and beyond. The industry has given me so much, I wanted to give back.”

Guided by Richard, Cult certainly moves differently in an industry where imitation has become increasingly normalised and speed often prioritised over care. Step into any Cult showroom, and you’ll experience this slower pace… Light settles across smooth and tactile surfaces, furniture is composed with intention. Pieces are given space to be understood, rather than repeated for attention. 

There’s a human element at every step, and Richard’s dedication to this moves beyond the showroom walls. As a long-time advocate for original design and fair recognition, he’s the co-founder of the Authentic Design Alliance, working to protect the people behind the work. “Copying strips away the human story,” he says. “It leaves the shell, but none of the substance, the thinking, the craft.”

Since his early days in the world of design and furniture, that human connection has always mattered most to Richard. It’s why the craftsmanship of Mark Tuckey resonates so deeply, and why welcoming the brand into Cult’s portfolio feels as personal as it is professional: a way to protect the makers and continue a beloved Australian-made furniture brand in an industry where local manufacturing can so easily, and quietly, slip away.

“The makers are absolutely incredible. They’re not just moving something from one bench to another, but truly crafting. In many ways, it’s exactly what I imagined I would do when I was at school; seeing one person take a piece of timber and turn it into a finished piece of furniture.”

In an industry of constant change and evolution, Richard has always kept Cult grounded. The years have brought growth, but the future looks much like its past: consistent, intentional and guided by someone who believes in the work. A future shaped by care, responsibility and respect for those behind the work, where original design is protected.