The initial spark of inspiration for the Bendo brand was prompted by a visit to Philip Island, where husband and wife duo Kristian and Annabelle Jamieson were struck by an elephant sculpture, rendered in fluoro pink chicken wire. Annabelle explains ‘it was this sculpture that inspired us to attempt to re-invent many of the mundane wireware products we were using every day.’ With Kristian’s expertise in industrial design, and Annabelle’s marketing and design background, the pair were perfectly placed to create their own range of everyday homeware items, and expand the potential of wire as a material!
Annabelle explains, ‘we noticed how many products around the house we engaged with almost every day that are made of wire, yet were void of any consideration of aesthetic appeal or unique sense of design language.’ They refined the colour, finish, and construction and introduced modernist design references to create sleek and joyful everyday functional pieces. She highlights ‘the initial challenge we set ourselves was to create as many products out of one single piece of wire as possible.’
The original range of egg cups, coat hooks, dog bowls, a candlestick, wine rack and photo frame has expanded as the brand has grown. Their designs now include more complex products, and the pair are also beginning to expand into sheet metal and spun aluminium. Bendo now has over 50 pieces in the collection.
The functional success of the Bendo products range is evident in Annabelle and Kristian’s home, where they admit ‘almost every product we have ever produced and designed is somewhere in our home.’ Pot plants are housed in stands, coats are hung on oversized paperclips, and milk crates used for a variety of storage. Design outcomes that are literally endless, all arising from one simple material!
