New Assemblages leather strap shelving by Melbourne design studio Lightly.  Photo by Willie / Cursorctrl.

New Assemblages leather strap shelving by Melbourne design studio Lightly.  Photo by Willie / Cursorctrl.

You might recall an awfully long time ago we interviewed Melbourne designer Cindy Lee Davies, who runs her own design studio, Lightly, based in Collingwood.  Cindy Lee has had such incredible success with her products since first launching Lightly in 2005.  She  stocks retailers across Australia and internationally… and has even collaborated with major international brands including US retail giants Anthropologie and Kate Spade!  Amazingly, Cindy-Lee still designs every item herself, and manufactures 90% of her product range in Australia.

Lightly's newest range, Assemblages, is an elegant collection of multifunctional leather pieces, including shelves, a side table, and a raw leather belt ('girth').  'The three styles are interactive pieces that allow the user to author their own lifestyle, combining various found objects to create functional three-dimensional pieces of furniture for the home' says Cindy Lee.

Whilst she's long been known for experimenting with various materials such as ceramics, acrylic and rope, the Assemblages range is Cindy Lee's first collection using leather. 'My grandfather is the inspiration for Assemblages' she explains. 'He was in the Australian Light Horse Regiment, which served the country on horseback. He also taught all of us grandchildren how to ride.  This range harks back to Australia in the early 1900's and the utilitarian resourcefulness found in the lifestyle. It draws on the saddlery aesthetic: the artisan skill, the mix of leather girths and brass belt buckles, and the unmistakable smell of raw leather and saddlery that was in my grandfather's workshop growing up'.

Pricing starts from $120 for the leather book girth belts, and the leather shelf straps start from $160.

Lightly recently launched their new website, which looks SO lovely, and they're offering free shipping on everything to celebrate their new digital digs!  Well work a little visit...

Assemblages Side Table Belt by  Lightly.  Photo by Willie / Cursorctrl.

Assemblages Book Girth Belt by Lightly.  Photo by Willie / Cursorctrl.