The launch of Caroline and Andrew Olah’s furniture brand Reddie in London marks a full-circle moment. The husband-and-wife team set their sights on the capital after falling for the city’s old-meets-new design approach when they visited during the 2024 edition of London Design Week. Now they have a stunning showroom in design epicentre Clerkenwell, which aptly opened during the area’s own design week in May.
Reddie launched in Sydney’s inner-city suburb of Surry Hills eight years ago with a focus on handcrafted, customisable pieces made as sustainably as possible. The collection spans office classics, garden furniture and occasional pieces in a mid-century style. And its ethos is one the Olahs feel will resonate strongly with Londoners.
“The UK market had been on our radar for a few years, and when we were visiting we learned that there’s a real appreciation for craftsmanship,” Andrew tells Broadsheet. “There’s a beautiful balance of modern and traditional architecture across the city.”
This synergy encouraged the couple to move here last year to set up shop. Clerkenwell was an obvious home for their first London showroom – and they were lucky enough to find space on Goswell Road in “a former bank with so much character. It has a modern shell, but a traditional overlay. There’s even a vault in the back that's been welded shut, and there are exposed beams, though the floor space and walls are clean – a canvas to showcase the brand,” says Andrew.
As Reddie is new to customers in the capital, “we’ve designed the showroom like a gallery, telling the brand’s story,” says Andrew. “There’s background about our factory in Java and there are pieces of furniture hanging up on the walls, as well as samples of our recycled plastics, so that designers and creatives can be a part of the process, mixing and matching colours and materials to understand the customisation process."
One reason Reddie has grown apace is that Caroline has deep insight into what customers want. Andrew comes from a commercial background, as a former sales executive at Google, while Caroline previously worked as an interior architect, designing buildings, homes and hotels. And after consistently drawing a blank when seeking out brands producing well-made furniture that also offered versatility for different-sized spaces, the idea for Reddie was born. “It was created based on the challenges and opportunities that [Caroline] found within the furniture space,” Andrew says.
The material (think wood in varying hues, metal and marble) and size of most of the brand’s pieces can be adapted, yet as they are made from reclaimed wood and recycled plastic diverted from landfill, each looks and feels unique. Teak is a predominant material in the collection, as it’s the primary building material in Indonesia – where the founders chose to be Reddie’s production for its reputation as a “home of craftsmanship”.
Andrew feels the timber has a particularly nostalgic quality for Brits. “It has a look of vintage furniture; maybe people’s grandparents had a teak table or sideboard in the ’60s or ’70s when it was so commonly used.”
As for which pieces Andrew sees UK customers coveting the most, his bet is on the Cinta range. “There are dining chairs, lounge chairs and stools which are curvy with a traditional, vintage feel, but they’re also clean in design.” But the Reddie founders think it’s the versatility of their pieces that will make them fly. The brand has decked out everything from modern corporate interiors to country-style homes, and the couple are proud of the fact they transcend a specific aesthetic. “Like a little black dress that you can wear to anything,” says Andrew.
Reddie
153 Goswell Road, EC1V 7HD
Hours:
Mon to Fri 9am–5pm
