A life long love of timber design which began as child marvelling at the neo-gothic architecture of St Paul’s Cathedral and the Flemish Renaissance-inspired Dunedin Railway Station in his native New Zealand has seen Matthew Hunsche keep the art of hand crafted furniture and French polishing alive.
Brisbane’s northside is an unlikely place to find some of Australia’s last craftsmen dedicated to bespoke furniture creation and custom joinery, toiling under the watchful tutelage of Matthew – sometimes referred to as the ‘timber whisperer’.
“The wood will tell you what it wants to be,” he regularly reminds his charges as they craft made to order, timeless pieces of furniture and joinery to the requirements of discerning clientele from around Australia.
Matthew Hunsche and his team of craftsmen and apprentices at Finer Living know that furniture making and French polishing is as much of an art as it is a vocation, designing and restoring furniture with a personality as individual as each client.
This is reflected in the meticulous attention to detail, every piece crafted by the team at Finer Living must pass Matthew’s high standards before it leaves the workshop.
Matthew started as a furniture restorer at the age of 15, honing is skills at the elbow of his first employer and mentor Kevin King, who Matthew describes as “the best polisher that ever walked the earth”.
“He guided me through the use and care of family heirlooms, the love of detail of every piece and to enjoy every piece’s individual character.
“Kevin used to send me to people’s homes to restore their old or expensive furniture. I got to talk to people, go away and restore or create something new.
“That is what has driven me to what I do now; that interaction with people, understanding what they want, having input and taking them on a journey with timber.”
Finer Living fill a distinct gap in the market, offering clients bespoke pieces, with the team capable of recreating traditional or modern pieces or crafting an entirely unique statement piece from scratch.
It’s hardly surprising that Matthew and his team are highly sought after; offering design solutions from concept to delivery that consistently exceed client expectations right down to the choice of wood.
Matthew and the team at Finer Living prides themselves on an ‘undisputed commitment to perfection’ and the creation of timeless and functional custom-designed pieces which last a lifetime, and as such, each piece has a lifetime warranty.
Their mantra is ‘to create a potential heirloom every time’ such is the quality which the creations can be passed down throughout generations.
Every piece of furniture has a story to tell, and Finer Living walk clients through the design journey from timber selection and tailored design to manufacturing, finishing and installation.
Finer Living workmanship has also been recognised by some of Brisbane’s leading venues and organisations producing custom furniture and joinery for the ABC, QPAC and Sofitel.
