Caristo Lowback Armchair

“One of the reasons that we wanted to start SP01 was because we didn't want to be siloed into one kind of ‘Italian’ or ‘Danish’ or ‘Japanese’ style—we wanted to be a bit more flexible,” says SP01 co-founder Matt Lorrain of the design brand that features beautifully detailed, hand-finished furniture conceived in Australia and designed and made in Italy. “If you look at some of our pieces, there are subtle references to mid-century, Art Deco, or even something a little ‘80s,” he adds. “We try to lightly touch on these things but without being ‘retro’ or gimmicky.”

Production in Italy is key to the brand’s mantra of rigorous design and the honest use of materials. “Working with Italians is quite a beautiful thing because they have an atelier-style approach to things and they’re specialists. We do a lot of wood production, for example, but the people who make tables aren’t the same people who make chairs,” Matt explains. “One workshop will work with another workshop and another workshop, and they’ll take joint responsibility to make sure that in the end you get a perfect product.” With tables and seating for both indoors and out as well as sleek storage pieces, SP01’s “perfect product” is as relevant in a New York studio as in a beachside home in California.