Fairlie Bush Furniture

Apart from three years in the army, Louise Wynn has spent all of her life in Fairlie, South Canterbury.One of ten children, she was brought up on her parents farm on Ashwick Flat and as a child she developed a keen interested in art and craft. "I've always made things; from knitting and sewing to crocheting and preserving so woodwork is just a natural progression".

Eighteen years ago she made her first piece of furniture, a table, from a design in a book with three friends. Since then she has made a huge variety of wooden objects from hill sticks and signs to outdoor furniture.  

Rustic couches are particularly popular and so far Louise has made and sold more than 700.

The legs and frame are made out of Larch branches and the seat and arms are thick Macrocarpa slabs sourced from her husband Ian's portable sawmill.

"People will come to me and ask if I can make such and such and I say 'oh yup, I'll give it a go' and if it's a really curly job Ian and I will scratch our heads over it and we get it sorted".