New Melbourne-based online homewares and furniture site Barnaby Lane offers consumers and retailers a curated collection of sleek, Scandinavian-inspired products.
After working as a marketing professional, Rae Maxwell decided to follow her true passion and start Barnaby Lane. “I’ve always wanted to start a business of my own and after being in the corporate world for over 10 years I finally came to the realisation that climbing the ladder was not for me,” she says.
“I was overseas for the best part of a decade and I always found myself perusing different cities for furniture and homewares. It was the artisans I discovered that really inspired Barnaby Lane – their products just seemed too amazing to leave behind. Plus, I’m married to a property developer so we were constantly consumed with design and renovating.”
The Barnaby Lane ethos is to keep the range small, ensuring each product is suitable for the site. “Our approach is to curate our collections and only sell items that I would have in my house,” says Maxwell.
“Barnaby Lane reflects my personal taste, which is highly influenced by Scandinavian design and furniture that lasts a lifetime. A lot of our furniture uses recycled teak; some have come from old Javanese boats. I love to think that our products have their own story and that we give them a second life.”
At present, the Barnaby Lane collection includes woven leather and teak armchairs, handcrafted wooden hippo ornaments, and cubes made of recycled wood that can be used as side tables, bookshelves or as a design feature.
Although Maxwell only sources a small amount of stock, she is keen to connect with retailers interested in Barnaby Lane’s products. “We hope to work with many retailers and would encourage them to get in contact.”
