I'm Adam Ward, the maker behind East Wood Design.
Before I ever picked up a chisel for furniture, I spent more than three decades as a builder — much of it restoring heritage villas throughout Devonport, Ponsonby, and Grey Lynn. Those years working with native timbers and traditional construction methods taught me something that's stayed with me ever since: good materials and patient craftsmanship reward you. A well-made thing, built properly the first time, lasts.
After ten years living and working on Waiheke Island, a move to Mangawhai four years ago marked a turning point. A long-held interest in furniture making became a full vocational shift — trading renovation sites for the workshop, and giving me the freedom to focus on designing and making original furniture and finely crafted wooden pieces.
Today I work with a range of timbers sourced from New Zealand and further afield — White Oak, Ash, Black Walnut, and European Beech among them. Each species earns its place for its structural integrity as much as its visual depth; I choose timber that lets the grain and natural variation speak for itself, rather than hiding it. Walnut and Oak in particular tend to be the ones that stop people in their tracks — timbers that only grow richer the longer you live with them.
At the heart of East Wood Design is a simple belief: things should be made to last. In a world of disposable, mass-produced goods, I want to make pieces that outlive their first owner — physically and aesthetically — objects worth repairing, keeping, and passing on.
That philosophy has found an audience well beyond Mangawhai. Alongside a growing base of returning local clients, commissions have travelled as far as Malta, Amsterdam, England, and the United States. It's humbling — and it keeps me pointed at the same goal: make fewer things, and make them well.
Materials & Craft: Solid Wood, Ethically Sourced
Every piece that leaves the East Wood Design workshop starts with a decision about material — and that decision matters to me as much as the joinery does.
Solid wood, not veneer or composite. I work in solid timber because it ages the way nothing engineered can: it takes on colour, patina, and character over decades rather than degrading. A solid wood piece can be sanded back, refinished, and repaired for generations — a chipboard or veneer piece generally can't. That difference is the whole point of building something meant to last.
Timber sourced with accountability, not guesswork. My timber is supplied by BBS Timbers, whose procurement is backed by independent third-party certification rather than self-declared "sustainable" claims. That includes:
- FSC (Forest Stewardship Council) — certifying timber from well-managed forests that maintain biodiversity, respect indigenous rights, and support local workers.
- PEFC (Programme for the Endorsement of Forest Certification) — an independent global certification scheme for responsibly sourced timber.
- Rainforest Alliance certification — verifying that forests are managed to protect biodiversity and the rights and livelihoods of workers and local communities.
- Membership of the New Zealand Timber Importers Association (NZTIA), which works with government and industry bodies on responsible timber policy.
BBS Timbers also actively plants and harvests its own forest plantations across New Zealand, supporting a renewable timber supply rather than one that simply depletes what's already there.
Made by hand, in one workshop. There's no offshore production line behind East Wood Design. Every board is selected, every joint is cut, and every finish is applied by me, in Mangawhai. That means fair labour isn't a line item to audit — it's simply how the work gets done.
Built to be repaired, not replaced. Ethical sourcing doesn't stop at the material — it extends to how a piece is built. Solid joinery, quality hardware, and finishes chosen for durability mean an East Wood Design piece can be maintained and repaired for years, rather than discarded when it shows wear. Reducing what ends up in landfill starts at the workbench.