About

Meet Ben

Founder & Artisan woodworker

Growing up in Manchester England, Ben spent weekends playing lacrosse, riding bikes (through the rain) and playing hide and seek in old Victorian houses. A fairly ordinary boyhood life – except that he loved design even back then. He loved sitting in ‘the good room’ on that amazing classic cream sofa, climbing on the Guy Rogers teak armchair, he loved the way his dining table extended so effortlessly so more friends could eat at the table. He loved his home and the possessions in it that made it his home. It was the beginning of his lifelong love of well designed and made furniture.

When Ben moved to Australia in the mid-1990’s working as a geologist, he spent his weekends off “in the shed” feeding his passion to create furniture that was both practical and unique. Eventually he decided to follow his heart and explore his lifelong love of making furniture. He attended the Australian School of Fine Wood to expand his wood-working skills and provide the foundation for building his own business. And he has never looked back.

Ben lives and works in Fremantle, Western Australia. You can catch him there in his workshop at Squarepeg Home… or early mornings down at South Beach.

Ben Savage

In the Workshop

There is something very special about wood. It is the material of choice in our homes now, as it has been for hundreds of years. It connects the present with the past as well as the future – it is a sustainable choice, a practical choice and a timeless choice.

Just a few steps through the round window and you are in the heart of Squarepeg, where the spark, creativity, inspiration and hard work come together in the shape of a beautiful cabinet for your living space or a lovingly hand crafted table for your family meals perhaps. Where the lightest touch and the firmest hands craft beautifully finished pieces for your home.

All our furniture is built in our workshop onsite by Ben and Jack, whether it’s a custom piece built specifically for your space, a piece for the shop floor or one of the rare vintage Danish pieces needing love and attention before it goes to a new owner. It’s all there right in front of your eyes, from the sawdust on the floor to the punching bag in the corner…for the more challenging days.

Come in and take a look, just mind the dust.

Philosophy

I find furniture fascinating as it reflects so much about the times in which it was created. Technology, materials, socio economic factors all shape the furniture around us. As a designer you are trying to develop pieces that are relevant to your life and times. The best work however, remains relevant for longer.

This is one of the reasons I also love Danish Modern furniture. For many years Danish design has been revered for its minimalist beauty. Their furniture is synonymous with quality, longevity and beauty with a strong craft based ethos and honesty to the materials. Being a child of the seventies I grew up around a few characteristic pieces of the era. It has a purity and a simplicity to it. I was reminded of this on several trips visiting Kate’s old friends in Copenhagen and other beautiful places in Denmark.

Many of the terms I use to describe our Danish pieces are motivating words for my work and if I am able to strike the same beautiful balance between functionality and aesthetics and relevance to the way we live then that is a goal worth pursuing.