Classic Design: New Chapter for an Australian Furniture Dynasty
A third generation of the Brown family is ensuring the legendary name of TH Brown is not forgotten
Janet Dunn
7 March 2018
Houzz Australia Contributor. Former NZ House&Garden writer and stylist, and avid interior design enthusiast. Ex-restaurateur and caterer, with a Professional Certificate in Gastronomy, University of Adelaide.
Houzz Australia Contributor. Former NZ House&Garden writer and stylist, and avid... More
Family businesses have a rocky track record in Australia. Just one in three survive transition to a second generation and only one in six continue to a third. This makes TH Brown something of a gem. Since its creation by Thomas Howard Brown in 1911 – through its terms as Brown Brothers Wholesale Chair Manufacturers, TH Brown and Sons Ltd, TH Brown Furniture Pty Ltd and currently Workspace Commercial Furniture – the business has had family at its core. Thomas’s brother, sons and grandson have proudly shepherded it through the years into this century, and after some decades in the shade, the Brown family flag is flying once more.
TH Brown, “a tough little bugger”
Simon Brown needs no urging to wax lyrical about his beloved Grandpa. The oldest of 12 children, Thomas Brown took on family and farm duties from the age of 11 when his father died, and was to see eight of his siblings succumb to cholera. At 15 he became a carpentry apprentice and his first job was turning finials for the train stations springing up as the Port Pirie-Adelaide railway was built.
He established TH Brown in 1911 in Adelaide. It became a household name during the first half of the twentieth century and was one of Australia’s largest furniture manufacturers from the 1920s, producing its two millionth chair by the 1940s.
Simon Brown needs no urging to wax lyrical about his beloved Grandpa. The oldest of 12 children, Thomas Brown took on family and farm duties from the age of 11 when his father died, and was to see eight of his siblings succumb to cholera. At 15 he became a carpentry apprentice and his first job was turning finials for the train stations springing up as the Port Pirie-Adelaide railway was built.
He established TH Brown in 1911 in Adelaide. It became a household name during the first half of the twentieth century and was one of Australia’s largest furniture manufacturers from the 1920s, producing its two millionth chair by the 1940s.
Meet the family
Simon describes his grandfather as a visionary who changed the ground rules for factory furniture production. He instigated disabled access for war-wounded staff, employed Indigenous workers and provided English language training for foreign workers. When demand fell off during WWI, the factory produced rifle stocks and refectory tables for American military personnel stationed near Adelaide.
Simon describes his grandfather as a visionary who changed the ground rules for factory furniture production. He instigated disabled access for war-wounded staff, employed Indigenous workers and provided English language training for foreign workers. When demand fell off during WWI, the factory produced rifle stocks and refectory tables for American military personnel stationed near Adelaide.
On his return from WWII, Thomas’s youngest son Peter discovered a gift for furniture design. Peter and his brother Napier managed the business until Peter retired in 1987. The consummate quiet achiever, Peter remained a low-key and modest man, while designing some of the most innovative and refined mid-century furniture Australia has seen.
Meet Australia’s Favourite 20th-Century Furniture Designers
Meet Australia’s Favourite 20th-Century Furniture Designers
School holidays being press-ganged into working in the Brown factory gave Thomas’s grandson Simon Brown an abiding passion for design and deep pride in his family’s tenacity and skill. After a career in IT, in 2015 he contacted Workspace Commercial Furniture, who had purchased the business in 1987. His vision: to restore the TH Brown name and put his father’s designs back into the limelight. They joined forces with Brown to relaunch two signature mid-century pieces.
Serendipitous mid-century trend
Simon Brown calls the current flood of replica furniture onto the retro market “the bane of a furniture designer’s existence”. On the other hand, he’s happy it has reignited an appreciation for mid-century modern design in a wider audience, and increased the value of beautifully crafted original designs. TH Brown pieces sometimes turn up in retro dealers’ outlets in Australia and globally, where they are quickly snapped up by discerning buyers.
See more mid-century-style home designs
Simon Brown calls the current flood of replica furniture onto the retro market “the bane of a furniture designer’s existence”. On the other hand, he’s happy it has reignited an appreciation for mid-century modern design in a wider audience, and increased the value of beautifully crafted original designs. TH Brown pieces sometimes turn up in retro dealers’ outlets in Australia and globally, where they are quickly snapped up by discerning buyers.
See more mid-century-style home designs
A tale of two stools
With this demand in mind, Brown selected two pieces as the vanguard for a series of reissued designs.
One is the Danish Bar Stool (seen here and in the following images), “easily the most sought-after and widely collected of my father’s MCM designs,” says Brown. “Its iconic shape, functionality, adjustability and beautifully sculpted lines have stood the test of time like few other Australian designs.”
With this demand in mind, Brown selected two pieces as the vanguard for a series of reissued designs.
One is the Danish Bar Stool (seen here and in the following images), “easily the most sought-after and widely collected of my father’s MCM designs,” says Brown. “Its iconic shape, functionality, adjustability and beautifully sculpted lines have stood the test of time like few other Australian designs.”
Rather than an exact reproduction, the stool has been subtly modified to enhance its durability and sustainability. Almost undetectable minor structural tweaks give added strength, and the timber components are ash, a sustainable hardwood, whereas they were once largely teak and blackwood. Originally vinyl, seats are now fine, sustainably sourced Italian leather.
Photo by Brooke Testoni
What hasn’t changed, says Brown, is the hand-finished Scandinavian style, attention to detail and the 10-year manufacturer’s guarantee, first introduced by his innovative grandfather. The stools are made under licence – and Simon’s careful eye – by Workspace Commercial Furniture (formerly TH Brown Furniture P/L) in Adelaide as part of their Origins range.
Shown is the Danish stool in dark-stained ash with black leather upholstery.
What hasn’t changed, says Brown, is the hand-finished Scandinavian style, attention to detail and the 10-year manufacturer’s guarantee, first introduced by his innovative grandfather. The stools are made under licence – and Simon’s careful eye – by Workspace Commercial Furniture (formerly TH Brown Furniture P/L) in Adelaide as part of their Origins range.
Shown is the Danish stool in dark-stained ash with black leather upholstery.
An elegant combination of blond timber finish and white leather upholstered seat, seen here, complements sleek modern interiors. The stools are numbered and come with a Certificate of Authenticity. They are available from these stockists in Australia, and are also available for international shipping orders.
The other original Peter Brown-designed stool reissued in 2017 was the Martelle Bar Stool. Deceptively simple, its elegant tapered ‘rocket’ legs and generous, sculpted seat put it in the luxury class. Now with hand-stitched Italian leather upholstery, a choice of light or dark timber finish and white, black, ‘Oak Brown’, ‘Gunmetal Grey’ and ‘Calypso Orange’ colour options, it is quintessentially modern while honouring the almost 50-year-old design.
This early TH Brown catalogue shows both stools, along with coffee tables in teak and blackwood with an oiled finish – the Cuban, bottom left and Burma, bottom right.
Simon Brown says the next phase of the project is the reintroduction of some of his father’s coffee table designs from the 1950s to the 1970s.
Simon Brown says the next phase of the project is the reintroduction of some of his father’s coffee table designs from the 1950s to the 1970s.
Sitting pretty
Production of the stools and following releases will be strictly limited. Brown hopes to appeal to a diverse market: lovers of top-quality construction and understated classic design who enjoy an exceptional mid-century piece in a contemporary setting, and those who embrace the total mid-century aesthetic. The resurgence of compact apartment living and kitchens focused on multi-purpose islands make the release of the stools timely.
Production of the stools and following releases will be strictly limited. Brown hopes to appeal to a diverse market: lovers of top-quality construction and understated classic design who enjoy an exceptional mid-century piece in a contemporary setting, and those who embrace the total mid-century aesthetic. The resurgence of compact apartment living and kitchens focused on multi-purpose islands make the release of the stools timely.
Proudly Australian
The TH Brown companies, in their various forms and fortunes, have carried the traditions of a passionate and talented family for over a century. The partnership with Workspace to launch classic Australian-born mid-century designs is the next step in their story. “My personal ambition,” says Brown, “is to put Dad’s name up in lights as one of Australia’s premier designers”.
Tell us
Do you have any memories of TH Brown furniture? Share them with us in the Comments section. And don’t forget to like, share or save this story. Join the conversation.
More
Find a furniture restorer near you
The TH Brown companies, in their various forms and fortunes, have carried the traditions of a passionate and talented family for over a century. The partnership with Workspace to launch classic Australian-born mid-century designs is the next step in their story. “My personal ambition,” says Brown, “is to put Dad’s name up in lights as one of Australia’s premier designers”.
Tell us
Do you have any memories of TH Brown furniture? Share them with us in the Comments section. And don’t forget to like, share or save this story. Join the conversation.
More
Find a furniture restorer near you
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Beautiful piece with beautiful memories it seems! Keep enjoying it.
cheers Simon Brown
We found two TH Brown chairs on the roadside - thrown out by relatives clearing out the home of a deceased lady. They looked interesting, and although the upholstery was in a terrible state we took them home, had a look underneath, and there was the TH Brown ticket. They are "bucket" chairs, and we have not been able to find anything similar online. We have cleaned them up and reupholstered them - they are absolutely stunning. Photo to follow.