About
My career started in 1982 in Yallingup, Western Australia, where I spent 6 years working for a local furniture maker establishing the skills that I have developed over the following 28 years as a designer maker. In 1988 I built my own workshop and gallery on my property on Blythe Rd in Yallingup, where still reside and work today.
After 25 or so years of surviving off my reputation as one of the finest furniture makers in Australia, creating iconic pieces such as the Cone Table and Parralell Universe table, it became apparent that I needed a more suitable environment in which to exhibit my work. With the dynamics of the Margaret River Region changing, it was clear that Caves Road was the ideal place to situate a new gallery. Opening in February 2009, my new gallery brings together my work along with that of other recognised local artisans. The expansive gallery space provides a more accessible setting in which the public can view my work accompanied by the likes of glass blowers Alan Fox and Kent Le Grand, artists Naomi Grant and Alise Sinclair and forger Antonio Battistessa.
Creating this collaborative space allows beautiful objects to come together to give people a picture of how they could see their own domestic surrounds.
The opening of the new gallery coincided with us gaining exclusive rights to Cattlean Italia in Western Australia. The family owned company produces superior quality furniture manufactured in Italy. Their chairs especially complement my designs.
My beautiful partner Pamela has been instrumental in allowing me to pursue my passion for design and furniture making and as curator is an integral part of the new gallery.
Design Philosophy
As a young country, Australia has a relatively short design history from which to draw inspiration. From the beginning I have set out on a path of creating furniture which reflects part of my being as an Australian and the environment in which I work. Drawing on what this country has to offer in terms of its landscape, climate and resources; most importantly our rare and unique locals hardwoods such as Jarrah and Marri.
I realised from the very beginning that I wanted to create a unique Australian design and have had a certain unwillingness to take inspiration from outside influences, however always understanding the importance in being aware of them. I have aimed to create a sense of cultural history in my furniture that will still be around in hundred of years to come thanks to clever design and construction techniques.
In all of my table tops I use solid veneers (5-6mm), laminated onto the most sophisticated ply in the world and set inside a solid timber frame with dovetail mitres. This ensures that they will never warp or split. These techniques are nothing new but in fact used by the most distinguished furniture makers throughout history such as Chippendale. All of my work is guaranteed with a signature carved leaf.
We have all heard the words passion, vision and beauty used to describe work, but it is whether or not all of these attributes come to fruition in a final piece. At the end of the day it is up to the public to decide.
Judging from the outstanding response we have had to the gallery so far it seems my work speaks for itself.
If only we could see the world through art, what an incredible world it would be.
John Streater
2010
(1992)
(1992) Birdseye Jarrah
(1993) Curly Jarrah Resides in England
(1994) Jarrah
(1994) Jarrah and Leather
(1998) Jarrah
(1999) Jarrah Resides in Chicago
(2003)
(1993) Jarrah Signatures Exhibition WA Art Gallery
(1988) Marri Forest of the Foyer Exhibition
(1997) Birdseye Marri
(2000) Feature grain Jarrah with a curly jarrah inlay
(1991) Birdseye Jarrah Out of the Woods Exhibition
(1995) Flame Jarrah
(1991) Birdseye Jarrah Out of the Woods Exhibition Resides in Chicago
Marri SOLD
Curly Marri Inlay 1.8m x 500. two velvet lined draws. P.O.A
Fiddleback jarrah with curly jarrah inlay 3m x 1.3m .
Fiddleback jarrah Natural oil finish. $8,000 sold
Birdseye jarrah three draws in each pyramid.P.O.A
Fiddleback Jarrah 2.8m x 1.2mSold Prices start from $7,700.NATURAL EDGE TABLES MADE TO YOUR DIMENSIONS AND CHOICE OF TIMBER
Stunning Curly marri with pink curly jarrah inlay. 2.5m x 1.25 m x 73 h
Marri with curly marri inlay. 3m x 1.3m SOLD .Original design by John Streater.
Marri Natural edge 110cm x 60 cm. Jarrah 1.5 x 700. Jarrah 500 x 700. All mirrors have butterfly dove tails in corners.
Curly Marri Inlay 1.8m x 1.2m
FIDDLE BACK JARRAH COFFEE TABLE 125CM X 80CM
Fox Studio Glass . Stunning vase hand made By Alan Fox
Fox Studio Glass .Vase, scene set in the Kimberlys at spring time.. $4,400
Fox Studio Glass platter,Spring time in the kimberly's. $5,500
Fox Studio Glass Bowl.
Fox studio Glass. Rain at last. SOLD
Fox studio Glass The rivers run.
Fox Studio Glass. Summers end.
Naomi Grant
Mirror
Mirror White Leather border.
Soft Black Leather. stainless steel legs.Steel frame.Very comfortable $900 each
Croccodillio Marrone Leather, stainless steel legs,$990 each
Black FIRM HIDE ALL LEATHER DINING CHAIR ,ALL STEEL FRAME, $770 EACH.
Black Leather
Silver hide leather office chair.$900 each
White Leather
Black hide Leather stool with stainless steel base on air lift suits any hight counter.
Antonio Battistessa. Sold
Antonio Battistessa
Alsie Sinclair SOLD
Alise Sinclair SOLD
HANDMADE JARRAH AND POPLAR JEWELLERY.centre tray lifts out.
jarrah bowl $145. Assorted timber fruit _ $25 per friut
Stunning Sheoak bowl with hand stiched leather feature. 22cm $395
Grass tree urn 27cm high $330
Assorted timber wine / oil bottle stoppers in sheoak stand. $199. also sold separate $33each
Jarrah boards all sizes and lengths. Kiln dried. Prices on Application. Contact John on 08 9755 1211
VISIT JOHN AT HIS WORKSHOP OPEN WEEK DAYS OR BY APPOINTMENT08/97551211
"We are very happy to recommend John Streater as an exceptional designer/ builder of fine furniture.
Four things, in particular impressed us about John and led us to commission a beautiful dining table. These were his obvious passion for fine furniture design and material selection;
his desire that each piece be unique and be designed to suit our needs;
his innovative approach to contruction and the precision of his workmanship; and his generous after sales service.
John's wife Pam is "part of the furniture" of the family business and like John she is a delight to work with."
Best wishes
Joelle and Peter Larsen
Cape Lodge, Yallingup
Western Australia
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"It is amazing to appreciate how a new piece of furniture like a dinning room can transform not only a room but a whole house and how the family live together. Our new dinning room table has done just that. Not only is it a thing of beauty that I'm sure will out live us all, we find that our family and friends are using the dinning room table more for all manner of meals. Our old dinning table was not much more than a dumping ground. We have now renovated our kitchen to take out a breakfast bar as it is really no longer needed as the dinning room table is much more appreciated. "
Ian Roffey
Oyster Bay
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"We are delighted with our new board table. As this is the second table manufactured by you for us, we already had an expectation as to quality and style; but the scale of our new table is significantly greater than the previous one and more complicated to assemble.
However, everything is perfect. You have matched the grain in the slabs perfectly and finished the surface in a style that accentuates the true character of the timber. It is truly a work of art, and we are grateful to have it in our custody."
Allan Fife
FIFECAPITAL
Macquarie Street Sydney
We approached you for a special designed table. The outcome was exactly what we wanted. Great craftsmanship resulting in a beautiful object which gets the admiration of everyone who sees it.
Thank you for the great work!
Arie en Angelique
John is an artist of international quality more than furniture maker. He is an ideal choice for commissioning a once-in-a-lifetime piece. We commissioned John to design and create a large display cabinet for fine china, glassware, and glass art. We spent ten years off and on trying to find a cabinet we loved. Then we travelled 4,000 kilometres, saw Johns work, and spoke with this passionate artist. We felt our dream was safe in the hands of a master of his craft; each of you listens and understands the other and sees the passion and creativity. John kept us informed through the design process which included a full scale mock up. The design is unique, simultaneously simple and yet, to our eyes, blending classical and modernistic, senses of strength from European rectangular form and delicacy of Oriental slimness and curve, large glass areas and exquisitely textured Fiddle Back Jarrah, all united with impeccable symmetry and balance. John personal initiative and creativity included deciding to utilise, and unobtrusively incorporate, LED lighting something we have not seen before in such a piece. We own other fine furniture including work by another maker of international renown, but the fineness of this piece clearly stands out. This week we were visited by a wood artist of 30 years experience. His calmly expressed and informed verdict: its the best example Ive ever seen.
Dr John Lowry
Sydney
April 2010
