Australian icon Mark Tuckey lives by the mantra ‘love what you do’, and the results really speak for themselves
Not many designers can say they’ve been a ski clothing model, a private investigator and a labourer — but Mark Tuckey can. With humble beginnings, the local creative sought to carve a career crafting environmentally friendly pieces that allowed him to use his head, his heart and his hands.
“My background includes a little experience working in some creative pursuits and a few years designing and=QUOTE= producing my own range of men’s clothing,” says Mark. After working as a PA to the owner of a busy furniture enterprise, Mark created his own business 25 years ago, starting his venture with just a couple of hundred dollars. “I bought all sorts of things from auctions and second-hand dealers and spent hours scouring the roadside and council tip-outs around wealthy Melbourne suburbs,” he says. Giving old pieces new life, Mark also produced a range of basic furniture pieces that he sold to retailers, with all profits going straight back into the business to fund his creative endeavour.
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About 15 years ago, Mark consolidated the business into one space with a large showroom and workshop in Fitzroy, with four additional locations mushrooming after that. Now living on Sydney’s Northern Beaches with his family, Mark is proud of his quintessentially Australian style that is present in each and every piece the studio releases. “Our philosophy is, and always will be, to design and make things we love and want in our own home,” he says. “Our aim is to create furniture that has integrity, simplicity and strength — we design furniture to last.”
Giving preferential treatment to timber, Mark sources this material sustainably, keeping with his aim of creating eco-friendly furnishings. “A beautiful thing about solid timber furniture is that it takes advantage of natural features including grain and colouring. Each type of timber has its own distinct features, allowing each piece to be varied and unique.
“My passion was, and still is, to always be involved in a creative process that is environmentally friendly,” continues Mark. “One of my main motivators is to get up every day and do something I love as opposed to doing something because it makes money.” And that’s a great way to live.
For more information,
marktuckey.com.au
Written by Annabelle Cloros
Originally from Home Design magazine, Volume 19 Issue 1