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Melbourne's Newest Mecca For Mid-Century Design

Melbourne has hit a state of mid-century madness… which for Jarrad Turner of Nord is great for business!

After cutting his teeth as a graphic designer, Jarrad has built up a career sourcing and restoring vintage European furniture pieces one by one, before opening his own showroom! We chat to him about his love for Scandi design, and setting up his new showroom in Brunswick.

Written
by
Miriam McGarry

Jarrad Turner at work in his Brunswick showroom, Nord. Photo – Lauren Bamford.

Mid-century ahoy! Photo – Lauren Bamford.

Jarrad in the showroom. Photo – Lauren Bamford.

Precision! Photo – Lauren Bamford.

Jarrad highlights that resotring heritage items is an aesthetic as well as environmental win. Photo – Lauren Bamford.

Chair of our dreams! Photo – Lauren Bamford.

Repairing the furniture is a true craft. Photo – Lauren Bamford.

Jarrad at work. Photo – Lauren Bamford.

As Nord has expanded, upholsterer James Hoy has joined the team. Photo – Lauren Bamford.

Colour match ready. Photo – Lauren Bamford.

Pull up a seat! Photo – Lauren Bamford.

This sideboard taking a temporary spin on some wheeels! Photo – Lauren Bamford.

Ready for a new home. Photo – Lauren Bamford.

Plenty of seats to choose from. Photo – Lauren Bamford.

Photo – Lauren Bamford.

Writer
Miriam McGarry
7th of November 2019

After working for a decade as a graphic designer in Australia and the UK, Jarrad Turner began to apply his interest in design and detail to the physical realm. He would spend his spare time trawling through flea markets and second-hand shops, and eventually he started to buy and sell vintage design. This enterprise first started as a side hustle, mostly inspired by Jarrad’s desire to buy pieces for his own home. He explains ‘I continued to buy and restore items and sell them on, and from starting out of my spare room, it soon took over my graphic design work, and I became dedicated to dealing in vintage design.’

Over the last 15 years, Jarrad has moved from fixing small scratches on one-off pieces, to now opening Nord, where he imports quality items from Europe, undertakes full restorations, and creates refurbished treasures for customers here. The showroom reflects Jarrad’s love of Scandinavian design, which first bloomed when he was studying. He describes ‘once I found a couple of Danish pieces locally, including a Hans Wegner sofa, I was truly able to appreciate the high quality of the craftsmanship and materials used.’ Finely crafted, functional Scandi design continues to be Jarrad’s passion, and a constant source of inspiration for his business.

While the majority of pieces in the Nord showroom are sourced from Denmark, Jarrad has recently expanded his design horizons to include speciality items from Britain, Italy, France, the Netherlands and Germany. Jarrad acknowledges that he’s definitely found his dream job – with plenty of overseas trips to visit suppliers and local flea markets. Online buying can be great, but for Jarrad, being able to see the quality of an item, or stumble upon an unexpected piece is an important part of the process.

Jarrad confirms that there seems to be a huge boom in is mid-century and vintage furniture at the moment, and that customers ‘seem less interested in brand names, and would rather choose something unique and of real quality that tells a story of who they are.’ He also highlights the growing awareness of the environmental impact of disposable items, and the understanding that restoring a beautiful vintage item is an excellent aesthetic as well as ethical choice. Win win!

Nord
261 Albert st
Brunswick
Victoria 3056

Open Tuesday to Sunday, 10m – 5pm

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