Designer Crush: Harbour Outdoor
Author:Michelle KonstantinovskySince 1976, the Condos family has crafted hand-made furniture in their Sydney workshop. Brothers Harrison and Nicholas applied their passions for design, detail, and architecture to growing their father’s company, Tecno Furniture, with an export arm; Harbour Outdoor. The company fuses traditional and modern elements influenced by the brothers’ Australian roots, and the designers reference the way their home country’s modern beach houses blend effortlessly into the rugged coastline. Harbour specializes in unique furniture that’s durable, distinctly reminiscent of the Condos’ home culture, and made to withstand a variety of climates. Learn more in our Q+A with Harrison Condos below.
How did you get your start in design?
I started at the age of 12, learning the fundamentals of blacksmithing from Dad in his workshop — learning to hammer shapes from metal tubing, and perfecting my welding techniques. I spent a lot of my spare time learning the family business and testing out ideas and designs.
What are the unique challenges of working with family?
It can be challenging spending so much time together and then separating work in our downtime. The biggest rewards are seeing both ourselves and the business growing. We constantly challenge each other to do our best and push our boundaries.
How do your Australian roots influence your work?
A lot of what I design I saw around me growing up. Sydney’s iconic beach houses are almost as prolific as our beaches. Being a young country, there’s a lot of modern architecture in Australia. This is what really resonated with me and where I saw a big gap in the US market.
What are some of the ways you ensure your pieces can withstand a variety of temperatures and climates?
A lot of it comes back to the materials, teak is known to be a hardy material for crafting furniture, likewise with powder-coated aluminum. We chose a strong base to work with and ensure to test rigorously. America experiences more extreme cold than we get on the coast in Australia so it’s important that our product development to cater to this.
Anything exciting coming up that you can tell us about?
We are releasing six new indoor collections for Fall this year, including our first bedroom collection. Indoor will become a more significant feature of our range in the future.
What’s your dream vacation destination and why?
With my Greek Australian heritage, I always feel at home at Mykonos. The sun, sand, sea, the food… It’s my home away from home.
Lightning round!
Most quotable movie?
Pulp Fiction.
Favorite book?
]The Great Gatsby.
Go-to karaoke song?
Sting – Message in a Bottle.
Tattoos: yay or nay?
Yes.
