Profile: Jon Goulder

"I aim to design timeless furniture that can be loved for a lifetime and handed down through generations"

Jon Goulder grew up surrounded by furniture, both in his family factory and at home. In 1992 he completed and apprenticeship in upholstery and furniture making to become a fourth generation craftsman. He began his professional design career in 1994, designing soft furnishings for large commercial retailers, before moving to Canberra in 1996. He completed a diploma of Art, craft and design in the wood workshop at the Canberra School of Art in 1999. Since then Jon has worked hard to design a body of work that grounds him as a stand out Australian designer.

His work has featured in a number of major exhibitions and publications around the world, most Recently Jon’s work was included in the Object Galleries/Melbourne Museum, ‘Freestyle New Australian Design for Living” Exhibition. Freestyle will tour nationally and internationally (2007/2009). Jon’s work is also included in ‘Smart Works, Design and the Handmade’ Power House Museum (2007). Jon was the inaugural winner of Bombay Sapphire Design Discovery Award, Winner of the Hobart Art Prize along with the People’s Choice Award and has been collected by the Powerhouse Museum and the Hobart museum and art gallery.

Much of the furniture surrounding Goulder in his youth was antique. He was encouraged to appreciate the various antique styles but always felt that the pieces were too busy and, to his eye, quite grotesque. He describes his clean-lined design sensibility as something of a reaction against this. During his time at Canberra Art School, Goulder was greatly influenced by Ian Gutheridge and the late George Ingham, who placed particular emphasis on craft skills within the course. "George was instrumental in the way I work because of his refinement and his philosophy on how to make things... to appreciate the process as you go rather than rushing to see the finished article and to discover the nature of materials”.

Some of Jon’s designs - the Leda Seat, Calypso Lounge and Stak stool are represented by Living Edge. Jon hopes to build on his relationship with Living Edge and add new designs to his collection in the coming years. Jon also has several international companies interested in working with him in the future.