My Custom Furniture Maker Story

For Lloyd Brooke Anderson, working with his hands has always been a way to experience the world and become lost in beauty.

As a boy he would marvel at the creations both his father and Poppa fabricated in their sheds. It was in these humble buildings, together with consideration, purpose and patience that custom projects seemed to birth themselves.

In early adulthood, the hand tool focus transmuted into handwork of a different kind; the language of music and songwriting.

The intricacies of precise technique and the magic of song were captivating, and, eager to explore a bigger world, Lloyd and his young family moved home from Auckland to Melbourne.

Like all good stories that dance in circles, it was the Australian landscape and native timbers that re-orientated Lloyd’s eye back towards sculptural based exploration. His growing family had a need for quality, solid timber furniture to replace the mass produced, flat pack fall-aparts that accumulated in their house, and the empty shed was soon transformed into a dedicated hand tool workshop.

Initially chosen due to a small working area and lack of funds, Lloyd quickly discovered the precision and intimacy with process that hand tools could offer. In a world where mass production rules, here was the escape.

Interest in his bespoke handcrafted furniture method soon grew, with Lloyd welcoming friends and family into his home workshop to design, chat and craft beautiful furniture. Many custom orders later, it was Vanessa, Lloyd’s wife and business partner, who urged him to follow his passion, take the leap of faith and embark on a career of handmade furniture built to last generations.

Lloyd Brooke Furniture has returned to New Zealand and continues to specialise in sustainable furniture made by hand, from premium quality timbers. With no feature or process outsourced, Lloyd has the opportunity to oversee each stage of the development