Tell us about yourself. How did your journey start in events and furniture?
Originally, we were making home furniture (we still do). But after going to a few weddings one summer, we looked around and thought, we could design some really beautiful furniture for this. Tate started working on a range for events and we launched lowercase hire in December last year.
All of our furniture is designed and made by Tate in our Tāmaki Makaurau workshop. Most of it is made from solid American ash or oak.
Do you draw inspiration from different cultures and international furniture? If so, what origins inspire you most?
We’re very much inspired by furniture from Japan and Scandinavia, which has a clean, warm aesthetic that’s timeless. Both cultures have a real focus on quality, celebrating traditional joinery and the material itself.
What are the most popular 3 items you have?
We get a lot of inquiries about our bar – it’s quite a grand looking piece but it’s also just really functional. The trestle tables are a staple that feature in almost every event we do. Our bench seats are also popular – they’re super versatile so people often use them for the ceremony, then move them inside to put around the tables (there’s your cost-saving tip for the day).
Have you experienced any notable challenges during your time in business that you’ve grown from?
Because everything is made by us, our range isn’t as big as some of the other furniture vendors (yet) – it takes time to build furniture! We’ve often talked about whether that’s a disadvantage but we’ve come to realise it’s just a different offering. What we make is unlike anything else currently available in New Zealand and there’s a particular group of people that appreciate the design and quality. Our range is also expanding constantly – the more customers we talk to and weddings we go to, the more ideas we get. Recently we added plinths and signing tables to the collection.
What style of wedding has been your favourite to be involved in?
We love an outdoor wedding with a big marquee. A big party in the middle of a field – what’s not to love?
What is the most difficult venue or space you have had to set up? Funny stories?
We hired the bar out to a little venue in the CBD that was up a flight of stairs. The bar is HEAVY and it took 4 guys to lift it. Once they got to the top of the stairs, we found out there was ramp…
What’s in store for the future of Lowercase?
Hopefully a lot more weddings as well as a range of other events. We’re working on a few ideas for retail and hospo pop-ups alongside plans to expand the range for weddings. All ideas welcome!
