Creatives at Home: Woodfolk Designer Julia Denes
A ’70s-style house in Sydney's east is reimagined to make room for family and a light-filled maker’s space
When designer Julia Denes of Woodfolk and her family moved from their Bondi Junction apartment into her partner’s grandparents’ old house in Sydney’s leafy Eastern Suburbs, a few changes needed to be made before they could happily live and work there. “It was ’70s-style and quite dark and, because it had been tenanted for a long time, it was a bit rundown,” says Denes. The couple turned the kitchen into a light-filled studio, took down the wall between Grandma’s old sewing room and the living area to create an extra bedroom, and reduced the size of the laundry to make room for a new kitchen. They also pushed out the wall in the living area by a couple of metres and opened it to the north-facing backyard. Denes’ studio is light-filled and quiet, and looks out over the sunny garden – just the place to create Woodfolk’s ever-evolving range of hand-crafted accessories and homewares.
Denes launched Woodfolk in 2013. The name is derived from ‘Wood’, representing nature and earth, and ‘Folk’, symbolising people, community and light-heartedness, as well as Denes’ love of folk music and the storytelling behind it.
“I majored in photography at COFA [College of Fine Arts] straight out of school before going travelling for a couple of years in the USA, Central America and Europe,” says Denes. “While I was there I started making a few things and realised what I wanted to do when I got back – make jewellery. It was life changing.” On her return, she worked as an apprentice with a jeweller in Double Bay, Sydney while studying jewellery manufacturing at TAFE, then designed one-off pieces for a jeweller in The Rocks before starting her own business.
Denes, pictured here working in her studio, is wearing one of her own necklaces, made with the help of a family of wood carvers in Nepal.
“I majored in photography at COFA [College of Fine Arts] straight out of school before going travelling for a couple of years in the USA, Central America and Europe,” says Denes. “While I was there I started making a few things and realised what I wanted to do when I got back – make jewellery. It was life changing.” On her return, she worked as an apprentice with a jeweller in Double Bay, Sydney while studying jewellery manufacturing at TAFE, then designed one-off pieces for a jeweller in The Rocks before starting her own business.
Denes, pictured here working in her studio, is wearing one of her own necklaces, made with the help of a family of wood carvers in Nepal.
Although Denes started out as a jeweller focused on gemstones, metal and diamonds, her business has evolved to become more about earthier materials such as wood and ceramic. “I’m not a blingy person; I don’t wear that much jewellery and I needed something that was closer to who I was,” says Denes. “The wood I use has beautiful colours and it’s all sustainably sourced from plantations. Ceramic works so nicely with wood and is such a beautiful art form; it’s so nice working with the clay and the earth.”
“I love my business,” says Denes. “It’s an extension of me. It’s been a journey and a process. Every time I change I shift the business. It’s moving and flowing.”
From the main work table in her studio, Denes looks out over the leafy rear garden. “I haven’t had a garden since I lived with my parents 18 years ago, and I love that it’s so quiet here,” she says.
The wall-hanging pictured here is one of Denes’ designs made in Nepal by a family of wood carvers who are thrilled to be able to practise the craft that has been handed down through the generations. Such work isn’t easy to come by in modern-day Kathmandu. “I wanted to make Woodfolk an ethical business; I wanted to do it right and for it to be a social enterprise that supports other people,” says Denes.
The string market bag on the right, made out of local nettle, is crafted by female Nepalese knitters in their own homes, bringing in some extra income for their families. “Woodfolk’s relationships in Nepal are built on trust, equality, fair trade and a long-term goal of bringing meaningful change to their lives, supporting through trade, not aid,” says Denes.
The Dots hooks: Muuto
The string market bag on the right, made out of local nettle, is crafted by female Nepalese knitters in their own homes, bringing in some extra income for their families. “Woodfolk’s relationships in Nepal are built on trust, equality, fair trade and a long-term goal of bringing meaningful change to their lives, supporting through trade, not aid,” says Denes.
The Dots hooks: Muuto
Here are some of Woodfolk’s finished ceramic Mountain Vases waiting to go to their new homes. Denes makes them using Australian clay and non-toxic glazes. The cotton pouches the products are packaged in are made by a small women’s co-operative just outside Kathmandu Valley in Nepal. The women also make Woodfolk’s bags and scarves using natural dyes.
“The women we work with develop skills and a sense of entrepreneurship, creating independence, a primary or secondary income to support their families, and a strong sense of self-worth,” says Denes. “They’re just so good at what they do … I feel quite privileged to be able to work with them.”
Denes has personalised her studio with texture and colour. In this case, branches of cotton are displayed in a Uashmama ‘pot’.
Denes has personalised her studio with texture and colour. In this case, branches of cotton are displayed in a Uashmama ‘pot’.
Woodfolk’s latest collection, Earth, was shot by photographer Marnie Hawson. Denes clipped poster-sized versions of two of the photos to her studio wall.
Many a creation has been crafted on this old jeweller’s workbench
Adjoining the studio is the new family room and kitchen. “I can be cooking or reading and my son is comfortable playing,” says Denes. “If he’s sleeping, I can duck in to the studio and work.”
Liam enjoys a snack after his daytime nap
The kitchen was designed by Swish Kitchen in Kensington. The cabinets are walnut veneer and the benchtops are from Caesarstone.
When she’s not working from her home studio on her latest range or making ceramics like these, Denes is off to Life Instyle trade show or the Finders Keepers design market, where she enjoys meeting her customers face-to-face. “I just love it,” says Denes. Woodfolk pieces are sold through 70 stockists and via the online store.
Denes with Liam and partner Mike
The post-renovation living area is spacious and filled with light. The sofa, from Ikea, came with them from their Bondi Junction apartment, and Denes had the ottoman – containing four foam cubes – upholstered in leather. The artwork is from Aqua Bumps in Bondi.
Denes made the oil burner and platter that sit on the industrial trolley/side table
“Ceramics are very popular right now,” says Denes. “I started out doing jewellery and beads and moved into homewares as I experimented and refined my technique.”
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“Ceramics are very popular right now,” says Denes. “I started out doing jewellery and beads and moved into homewares as I experimented and refined my technique.”
Tell us
What do you love most about this artist’s home and studio? Share your thoughts in the Comments below, save your favourite images, like this story and join the conversation.
More
Want to see the home studios of other artists and designers? Read Houzz’s other Creatives at Home stories
Name: Julia Denes
Occupation: Woodfolk jewellery, accessories and homeware designer
Location: Sydney, NSW
What’s made here: Vessels, platters, jewellery, bags and scarves in linen, wood, string and ceramic, all sustainably and ethically produced
When Denes, her partner Mike and their 18-month-old son Liam decided to move to Mike’s grandparents’ old house, they knew they needed to renovate first to create extra space and let in the light. The studio is now where the kitchen used to be.
“We didn’t render the walls, we just gave it a good paint job and painted the dark floorboards white,” says Denes. “I like the imperfections.”
The plumbing was already in place, so Denes installed a laundry tub to make the clean-up easy after working with clay. Simple workbenches and shelving were then added. “I don’t hold a lot of stock but I needed a bit of storage space,” says Denes.