The family behind bespoke furniture brand, Woodwrights

Written by

04 August 2022

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3 min read

From humble beginnings, Woodwrights has grown over the past 25 years into a well-known brand found in homes across Aotearoa. But the family-owned business has always kept the same values: a focus on quality, locally made, handcrafted pieces that can be enjoyed for generations.

We spoke with the two generations of Woodwrights – founder of the company, Adrian Trewavas, and his son, sales executive Huxley Trewavas – about the brand and how they’ve worked together to integrate modern design and manufacturing technology with traditional techniques to continually enhance every piece of Woodwrights furniture.

ArchiPro: How did Woodwrights come about?

Adrian: Woodwrights was founded upon a passion I had for furniture making, starting in the garage of a little bungalow on the main street of Motueka.

AP: Huxley, when were you first introduced to the family business?

Huxley: After growing up around the business, and spending many after school hours and holidays working with Dad, I joined the team officially in 2015.

Each piece of furniture by Woodwrights is meticulously crafted in New Zealand and is inspired by the Kiwi lifestyle and the country's natural environment.

AP: What do you love most about what you do?

Adrian: The people. With collaboration at the core of our approach, it’s the people that make the job fulfilling. From our team to our clients, we really are surrounded by good people.

Huxley: Seeing a vision come to life – whether it’s seeing a new piece through from concept to completion, or witnessing growth within the business. It’s those moments that make us excited for what's to come.

With collaboration at the core of our approach, it’s the people that make the job fulfilling.

AP: What is your philosophy around furniture design?

Adrian: Today more than ever, we are reframing our history in furniture making and extending ourselves in terms of product design and development. We're blending traditional craftsmanship techniques with todays’ design and manufacturing technology in the hope that we can create more possibilities.

"A desire for locally made, personalised furniture is only growing within the market," says Huxley.

We're blending traditional craftsmanship techniques with todays’ design and manufacturing technology in the hope that we can create more possibilities.

AP: What do you think the future of furniture looks like in New Zealand?

Adrian: Over the past 25 years, we have seen an increasing drive for sustainability and transparency in the furniture industry. Consumers, rightly, want to be able to trace the journey of their piece and see businesses focusing on context-driven solutions.

Huxley: A desire for locally made, personalised furniture is only growing within the market. To us, local goes beyond being made in New Zealand – we are passionate about supporting those around us, from increasing local employment to sourcing from local suppliers.

Woodwrights' furniture is made from sustainably sourced American Ash and American Oak, resulting in solid timber furniture that is durable, hard wearing, and easy on the earth.

AP: What is the process of design and manufacture at Woodwrights?

Huxley: Each Woodwrights piece is designed by New Zealand designers, crafted by our skilled artisans in Motueka, and delivered by our in-house delivery team. Being across the entire process locally enables us to have a highly collaborative approach to design and manufacturing. We also offer extensive customisation options across our range, so the client is often involved in this collaboration.

AP: What have you learned in Woodwrights’ 25 years?

Adrian: As a family business, our outlook is deeply seated in family values: respect, honesty and transparency. One of the biggest learnings has been to stay true to these values throughout the evolution of Woodwrights.