Made in Melbourne
Under the guidance of design director Justin Hutchinson, Australian brand Kett’s furniture is made in Melbourne but intended to be part of the wider design ecosystem
Founded in 2017, Australian furniture brand Kett produces furniture in Melbourne with components sourced from a small group of Italian and Indonesian partners. Kett pieces celebrate the essence of Australia’s natural landscapes, and the brand’s philosophy of ‘from the inside looking out’ celebrates ‘the natural world that sits just outside our windows’.
Justin Hutchinson, the brand’s design director, was approached by the founders of Cosh Living with the idea of creating a new brand for Australian furniture. Their new brand would focus on furniture designed and made in Melbourne, and the brand would be established by the Cosh team, which has a decade of luxury furniture experience.
Under Hutchinson’s direction, the designs that now come out of Kett emphasise materiality. The extensive palette — which includes wool, silk, leather, velvet, linen, timber, porcelain, marble and steel — reflects the material variation found across Australia’s oceans, mountains, deserts and cities, bringing a layer of physicality to the brand’s output.
Hutchinson says he works with a ‘reductionist approach’, starting with initial sketches, then ‘removing, paring back and trying to build out the clarity in the piece’. As he explains, ‘Sometimes that happens quickly, sometimes it takes a while. I remove things that are confusing, complex and don't work for people’s health. What’s nice about Kett is that we’re working with honest materials, and everybody enjoys the experience.’
Kett’s commitment to authenticity goes beyond materials. Hutchinson’s team has built a supply chain that prioritises expertise and is focused on craft, resulting in products that last. ‘I’m acutely aware that we’re all part of a larger ecosystem,’ he says. ‘What you do as a designer has an impact on the person producing the object, and the quality of their experience is part of the result. If no one enjoys making a design you’ve conceived, it's going to fail.’
Hutchinson’s vision for Kett stems from his own experience trying to make his home more self-sufficient and better connected with his community. ‘I was living in an apartment and there was no access to a garden. I asked if we could put a vegetable garden on the shared ground floor and they said no — so I decided to design a solution,’ he says. ‘I set up Urban Commons, a bespoke outdoor furniture and planter solution that facilitated shared experiences between residents while being robust enough to survive the environment.’
That spirit of creating connections is now embedded in Kett’s DNA. The brand’s products are carefully engineered to withstand Australia’s often harsh environments and can effortlessly transition between indoor and outdoor spaces. The collections are designed to be used throughout the year and by anyone, whether they’re working in a thoughtfully designed home office, watching the sunset on a deck with friends, or sitting down to dinner with loved ones. Hutchinson and his team strive to create furniture that adapts seamlessly to the changing needs of modern families.
With Australian design increasingly in the spotlight, Kett has taken on the important role of advocating for and elevating the nation’s creative output on the global stage. ‘It’s pleasing that people are more aware of Australian design. I hope that people start to understand the value of investing in it,’ Hutchinson says. Though it’s designed and manufactured mostly in Australia, Kett’s furniture is intended for homes around the world — bringing a distinctly Australian sensibility to any space.
