Corner Block Studio was born on a corner block in Meanjin (Brisbane), Australia. It grew from the original designs, personal values and entrepreneurial energy of co-founders (and life partners) Natalie Lane and Leith Morriss; an Industrial Designer and Mechanical Engineer.
The studio launched in 2015 with our debut product, the Book Frame. This design upholds the values of Corner Block Studio – original, well made, and environmentally sustainable.
Our designs are appreciated for being clever and functional. We choose materials that are environmentally sustainable and cruelty-free, guided by a deep admiration for our precious earth. We craft our products in our solar-powered workshop in Meanjin (Brisbane), making high quality homewares to be enjoyed for a lifetime.
Being thoughtful about the materials we choose helps to care for our precious earth.
RECYCLED AUSTRALIAN HARDWOODS
Australian hardwoods are exceptionally beautiful, durable, and character-filled timbers. We showcase these timbers in our work and hope you’ll admire them as much as we do. We only use recycled hardwoods, so precious old trees keep standing tall, and fallen trees stay in the forest to become homes for native animals.
Using recycled timbers is not an easy option, it’s an arduous task to reclaim old timbers from de-commissioned buildings such as bridges and old homes, and process them to a premium quality standard. We believe it’s important to protect our bushlands and forests, so we work with experienced timber mills that gather and process this reclaimed wood.
Our recycled timbers reveal the characteristics of their former life, including dark flecks around nail holes and interesting grain patterns. Making our frames from this timber is a pleasure, we enjoy noticing the unique colours and features of each piece. We craft the frames in Brisbane, Australia, to give you high-quality wares made from premium, sustainable timbers.
Queensland hoop pine is a light and lovely timber that has been used as a building and furniture material in Queensland for over 140 years. It is noted as the first export from Queensland when it was trialed for ship masts.
Our hoop pine is sourced from a plantation that was first felled in the late 1800s. It is Australian Forestry Standard (AFS) certified and exceeds the requirements of this certification.
We thoroughly consider our options when selecting timber – to ensure our selection is in line with our values of using environmentally sustainable and ethical materials. Aside from considering environmental certifications of various alternatives, we also visited and surveyed the hoop pine plantations.
While surveying the plantations and nearby state forests, we noted some reduction in the diversity of creatures compared to the more natural state forest. But we also found the plantation provided habitat for many species. We also noted the neighbouring land next to the plantation – used for grazing pastures and coal mining. The net carbon dioxide intake of a hoop pine plantation is of great benefit, so we made our selection with confidence.
We are glad to offer our range in beautiful, local, sustainable Hoop Pine.
Our strong sash woven cord is 100% cotton, inside and out. We choose cotton because it is a renewable material and will safety biodegrade at the product's end-of-life.
Thanks for getting to know us, our materials and the things that we care about. Feel welcome to contact us.
