Typically when you hear the phrase ‘designer furniture’, the instant reaction is to think, beautiful, covetable — and beyond reach. Alor Design Studio rejects this notion. Instead, under the guidance of Melbourne-based furniture designer James Walsh, Alor Design Studio is ushering in a new era for locally designed flat pack timber furniture with quality, craftsmanship and sustainability at its core. 

Assemble. Verb. To “gather together in one place for a common purpose”

Alor Design Studio was formed with a vision to celebrate the rich narrative of Australian design and redefine the industry through a model which welcomes different designers into the fold to create each high-quality, affordable collection. 

As a brand, Alor’s goal is to work with creatives, both established and emerging, to develop exciting products and be a platform to launch creatives into the industry. 

With each collaboration, the intention is to produce high quality furniture using quality materials and highly skilled makers, to create what the team at Alor hopes will become treasured pieces in Australian homes. 

To achieve affordability, Alor key designer James Walsh turned his creative thinking towards flat-pack design. “Our mission at Alor is to merge the realms of exceptional quality and accessible pricing, all under the banner of Australian-designed furniture,” Walsh says. 

The first collection, appropriately called Assemble, is a friendly and refined selection of furniture essentials, including a dining table, dining chair, bench seat, coffee table, stool and side table. Reminiscent of Featherston meets Ercol for the present moment, each piece is crafted using high quality FSC certified timbers and is available in oak, walnut or stained black ash. 

Sustainable principles driving design

For Alor, sustainability is more than just a buzzword. It is a foundational principle that underpins every design decision. The Assemble range, in particular, showcases Alor’s commitment to eco-conscious design, marrying sophisticated aesthetics with functional, environmentally-friendly principles. 

This ethos of collaboration and genuine sustainability, which emphasises longevity in design, has resulted in a locally designed range of future classics. “We are not just selling furniture, we are curating a legacy of Australian design that is built to last and be loved across generations,” Walsh says. Certainly, there is nothing more sustainable than items passed down from one generation to the next. 

Meet Alor at Decor and Design this July

Having come to life as an online brand, the upcoming Decor and Design show at Melbourne Exhibition Centre from 17-19 July marks the first opportunity for the Melbourne design-loving community to view Alor’s innovative products in person. 

Join Walsh and others from the Alor Design Studio team to learn more about Alor and its offerings and their journey to make sustainable, high-quality design accessible to everyone.

Photography: Matt Mcquiggan

 Discover the range and learn more about Alor

Discover another designer chair, the award winning Fuld nesting chair by Herman Miller