Introducing

LLH Studio by Lauren Lee Haynes

Lauren ( LLH ) is a furniture designer and sculpture studio based in Naarm/Melbourne. She creates made-to-order, small batch, unique designs. We love her pieces and as a fellow lover of VT we thought we'd have a chat in her studio to find out a little more about her.

Images by Lara Cooper.

Tell us a little bit about yourself.

I grew up in Western Australia, but I now call Melbourne my home after living here for 10 years. I work as a designer and sculptor, and I reside and work in the inner north of Melbourne. I am very passionate about my garden, home and work, which I do full-timeat the moment. These days, I'm pretty much a homebody and I love it.

What is one of your essential daily rituals?

Either a pilates class and/or watering my garden before or after I return from the studio.

"I am fascinated by nature and the colours that compose different landscapes and seasons. I find the mathematical elements in nature, as well as its organic shapes and forms, intriguing and so beautiful."

How did you get into sculpture & furniture design?

In 2018 I moved to Perth with my partner. During our year of living in Perth, we were pretty broke and my partner and I furnished our house with items that we found for free on Gumtree. I would often come across pieces that were broken or in parts, and I would attempt to fix them on my veranda or teach myself to build things from scratch. This sparked my curiosity about how things are made. When I returned to Melbourne, I enrolled in the Furniture Design Associate Degree at RMIT. This course allowed me to explore different styles and movements in Design, which helped me realise my passion for working with my hands and for the history and modern elements of design. I now balance my time equally between furniture design and sculpture practice, as enjoy both of them and I try to not rule out new pathways or practices of design that may present themselves to me. I love to try new things and see if it suits me.

Where do you look for inspiration?

I am fascinated by nature and the colours that compose different landscapes and seasons. I find the mathematical elements in nature, as well as its organic shapes and forms, intriguing and so beautiful. Additionally, I enjoy looking through architecture books for inspiration on material applications, texture, and lighting.

When do you feel the most at ease?

Watching a film or TV series or reading a book set in the Early Modern Era to the 19th Century world. I absolutely love it.

Current favourite artist/maker?

This is a bit off-topic but I really love what Nicole Sadana is doing and have been doing for some years now. Their shoes are so well made and have such attention to detail and form. I love the colours used, the textures and the inventiveness of the shapes. I usually look at non-furniture-related designs so as not to flood my practice with only this. I follow a lot of clothing, shoe and textile designers as well as graphic designers, landscape designers and architects for further inspiration.

Where is a place you would love to return to?

I would love to return to The Pilbara in Western Australia. Our family lived there for a short period when I was 12. It has been the source of inspiration for a few of my designs and ideas now. I especially would love to go back and camp near the various Gorges where we would spend our weekends in the 45-degree heat to cool down. They were an oasis with ferns and natural rock-slide formations in the middle of the scorching desert. The landscapes there are completely warm in every sense, the colour palettes are the most beautiful in the country.

What is your favourite item of VT clothing to wear & why?

I have a pair of Organic Gaucho Pants and I wear them almost every week because they are so comfortable and flattering.

Discover more of Lauren's work here.

https://www.laurenleahaynes.com/