Established in 2014, Philbe Design is leading the way in contemporary, high-end furniture design and making in New Zealand. Led by founder Philip Horner, our Auckland workshop is the base for our talented furniture makers. The team brings passion and creativity, with the highest levels of craftsmanship and detail to each and every piece.
We specialise in designing and crafting bespoke furniture for private homes, executive offices, boardrooms, retail stores, casino suites and super-yachts. We also produce furniture for some of New Zealand’s leading designers and architects.
We work collaboratively with our clients, from start to finish, ensuring they walk away with a one-off custom piece that can be passed down the generations.
We believe it’s important to combine the best of traditional craftsmanship alongside modern woodworking technology, to create unique and elegant contemporary furniture.
Phil Horner - Director & Furniture Designer
From classical guitars and concert hall pipe organs to super yacht cabinetry and one off timber furniture - Phil Horner’s path to making beautiful and individual furniture is one less travelled.
Phil was schooled in woodcraft through a rigorous furniture maker’s apprenticeship in his hometown of Greystones, Co. Wicklow. Five years of traditional Irish tutelage later and Phil was equipped with the built-to-last techniques of a master furniture craftsman. Keeping up with the fast paced world of modern design, Phil combines his classical foundation with an innovative and creative approach.
Although all his pieces are durable, sustainable and undeniably beautiful, Phil’s true specialty is working collaboratively with all his clients. He translates each individual’s requirements and style into unique pieces of functional furniture.
Matt Fuscic - Furniture Maker & Production Manager
With over 15 years of experience in the field, Matt is an expert carpenter who brings his dedication to quality craftsmanship to the Philbe Design team every day. His workplace roles have ranged from creating super yacht cabinetry to managing high end, bespoke kitchen and bathroom fit-outs. Since completing his National Apprenticeship as a Joinery Craftsperson in 2007 and part of his National Certificate in Carpentry later, he has now combined the information he learnt with years of practical application to become the accomplished craftsperson he is today.
Matt’s quiet confidence and technical expertise means that he turns each and every design into a flawless finished product. The architectural idiom, ‘God is in the detail’ is embodied in Matt, as he shows a perfectionism towards his work that results in pieces of furniture that are truly consummate.
Kynan Robinson - Designer
Kynan’s fascination with working with his hands started on the family farm south of Auckland, where the DIY nature of farm life fostered a sense of independence and appreciation for creating something out of nothing.
While studying for a Bachelor of Industrial Design at AUT, Ky began doing design work for one of his lecturers, who ran a one-man furniture operation. The iterative process and detailed consideration involved in bringing a piece of furniture to life stuck with Ky throughout his studies. After graduating, he spent three years at an Auckland firm working on biophilic designs to help increase stress resilience and promote well-being in the workplace, before joining Philbe Design in 2022.
Wellness is central to Ky’s approach, and his focus in every project is to design pieces that, through their form, function and material selection, create a space people feel good to be in – both mentally and physically. As a core member of our design team, Ky spends his day drafting, detailing, and 3D modelling, helping to build out the Philbe Design brand DNA and develop a recognisable design language that can be seen throughout our work.
Lucy Brooks - Designer
An essential member of our design team, Lucy came to Philbe with proficient skills from her previous role as a technical designer at Fisher and Paykel. Having studied Industrial Design at Massey University in Wellington, Lucy found herself wanting to explore her creativity further and work with different scales of design.
As an artist and seamstress, Lucy is innately hands-on in her work and is excited to be involved in every stage of the design process to bring our client’s dreams to life alongside our talented furniture makers. In addition to her painting and sewing practice, Lucy has started woodworking in her own time and enjoys the added insight it has given her into the work we engage in at Philbe Design.
Guillaume Angibert - Furniture Maker
Guillaume forms the vital French contingent of Philbe Design. With an unusual pathway to carpentry, Guillaume originally studied Event Management, gaining a Masters degree and working successfully in London for five years. However, unsatisfied, he decided to take the plunge and pursue his true passion. In his hometown in Cholet, France, he finished a traditional woodworking course and soon put his new capabilities to use by working in a range of high end furniture companies, giving him the meticulous and thorough professional skills necessary to be such an important part of the Philbe Design team.
Ever an adventurer, Guillaume moved to New Zealand. Only a couple of weeks after landing in Aotearoa, he met Phil and it quickly became apparent that he would be a fantastic new addition to the company. Bringing with him a true sense of aesthetic style, Guillaume has an eye for design as well as a constant drive to improve his craft.
Kate Campbell - Furniture Maker
A lifelong curiosity for handiwork, Kate’s love of pottery, woodworking, and other crafts, combined with a Bachelor of Design Innovation, led her to Philbe in 2020 after Covid derailed her travel plans.
Having completed the entirety of her apprenticeship under the expert guidance of Phil and the other senior makers, Kate combines technical mastery with a keen ability to translate a client’s desires into the style and language of Philbe Design.
Kate looks to both the old world and the new for more ways to grow professionally, whether that be diving into CAD and 3D modelling software or spending time in silence, honing her skills with hand tools.
In addition to crafting our celebrated custom designs, Kate draws on a background in social media to manage our digital presence, ensuring our work and processes are presented in a way befitting their world-class standard.
Isaac Trebilco - Furniture Maker
A skilled artist, designer, and craftsperson, Isaac joined Philbe Design at the end of 2021. After completing a Bachelor of Graphic Design at AUT, Isaac spent five years in the publishing industry, and several more travelling, before deciding to act on a long-held passion for woodworking and furniture-making.
Having worked for a number of companies prior to joining Philbe Design, Isaac brings extensive industry experience and a unique blend of skills to the team. Forever pushing boundaries, Isaac enjoys combining fine woodworking with modern technology and his knowledge of CNC processes and 3D modelling helps keep Philbe Design at the cutting edge of the design industry.
When he’s not in the workshop, Isaac spends his time playing football and indulging his artistic side as an accomplished painter of fine oil portraits.
AJ Cox - Apprentice Furniture Maker
Having followed our work for some time, AJ joined the team as an Apprentice Furniture Maker in 2022 and is currently working towards his Level 4 qualification in Joinery and Cabinetmaking through BCITO Te Pūkenga.
Born in Wellington, AJ spent his early childhood in Berlin, running around the museum where both his parents worked. Growing up surrounded by the museum’s collections and the architecture and art of the city left a lasting impression on AJ, who spent many years tinkering away in the family shed when they returned to Aotearoa when he was seven.
Going on to study a Bachelor of Industrial Design at Victoria University of Wellington, AJ spent three years working in the 3D printing industry after graduating, honing his skills in 3D modelling, 3D visualisation and CAD, before he decided to pursue furniture-making.
Always looking for ways to innovate, AJ brings extensive experience in 3D modelling and visualisation that allows Philbe Design to combine the craft of traditional furniture-making with the latest technology, ensuring our clients receive pieces that will last a lifetime.
Teina Smith - Apprentice Furniture Maker
After spending three years working in cabinetmaking and soft furnishing design for an Auckland-based firm, a recommendation from a friend, combined with a desire to get away from a desk and into the workshop, led Teina to Philbe Design.
With a Bachelor of Spatial Design with Honours from AUT, Teina’s design knowledge and industry experience are an immense asset to the team. Since joining us in late 2022, Teina has been learning the ins and outs of traditional furniture-making and is currently working towards his Level 4 qualification in Joinery and Cabinetmaking through BCITO Te Pūkenga.
Highly creative, Teina will often look to the lines of vintage automobiles and the work of mid-century modern masters for inspiration in his own designs, which he enjoys creating in his spare time.
Malika Savauget - Furniture Maker
Forming the other half of our French contingent, Malika’s passion for furniture making is rooted in the traditions of her homeland. Inspired from a young age by the ornate wooden features and fixtures of French churches, Malika’s respect for the skills of the old masters and interest in working with hand tools is a constant in her work.
A dedicated artist and student of art history, Malika looks to blend the fluid natural forms of Art Nouveau and geometric detailing of Art Deco with the clean lines of Scandinavian furniture, and believes in the timelessness of simple, functional design.
Complementing her respect for the past, Malika is enthusiastic about modern technology and processes, in particular the unique possibilities that are afforded by CNC machining, CAD, and 3D modelling, and is excited to combine the skills of the old world and the new on our high-end custom pieces.
Joel Walraven - Furniture Maker
An accomplished craftsperson and furniture maker for the past 18 years, Joel brings a wealth of industry experience to the team, including stints as a builder, joiner, and cabinetmaker both in New Zealand and overseas.
Joel’s journey into the craft began as a teenager building furniture alongside his father, who encouraged him to pursue his passion further.
A born-and-bred Wellingtonian, Joel spent the early years of his career in the capital, honing his skills in premium furniture making before departing for Canada.
After returning to Auckland, Joel has spent much of the past decade at the highest levels of the industry, creating custom, bespoke furniture for clients throughout Aotearoa.
Benjamin Spray - Furniture Maker
Although a career working on super yachts led Ben away from the design industry for 15 years, furniture-making held a place in his heart throughout. Originally from the UK, Ben completed a Bachelor of Arts with Honours in 3D Furniture Design and Production at Loughborough University, with his graduation show receiving coverage in the Sunday Observer.
A passionate and active artist, Ben finds inspiration in everything from graffiti and street murals to Roy Lichtenstein's pop art and furniture by Verner Panton, and is never afraid to try something new. While he is drawn to the abstract possibilities that furniture presents, it’s the simple, fluid forms and intelligent design that appeals most to Ben. His love for tactility and solidity in furniture made him a natural fit for Philbe Design.
Joining the team in mid-2023, Ben is excited to pursue his dream of furniture-making. He is looking to build on his existing skill-base through the use of CAD, CNC, 3D modelling, and more.