Aspiring NZ Designers will be familiar with Ian Blackwell products and his reputation. Ian Blackwell was born in Te Awamutu, a farming city situated in the Waikato. Ian Blackwell’s Mum and Father were sharemilkers and they lived on farms in and around the Waikato until I was 8. In 1976 my elders took the brave move of turning their back on the farm and moved to Auckland in the hope there would be more opportunities for my sister and I.

I left college at the tender age of sixteen and started a Pattern Cutting and Footware Design tutelage for the Selby Shoe Company. A corporation that had built it’s reputation on strong practical footware for the over 50′s women set. As you can imagine, not so many leading sellers were designed by myself. These were pre computer ( at Selby’s anyhow ) days and shoes continued to be designed on mid size lasts wrapped up in masking tape, with designs being drawn by pencil. Samples were all hand made and meetings ensued with sales staff to pick the seasons collection. How really” Project Runway! ”

And just like project runway not everyone makes it. In the mid eighties Rogernomics hit city and “deregulation” was the new hot word. The Footware and Clothing industries were one of the first to feel the effects. The Selby Shoe Company is now a block of apartments in St Lukes ( Auckland ).

Get yourself a trade child! Was my Fathers advice, it’s stood me in an excellent position. On completion of my Carpentry / Cupboard Making tutelage, I did what most young Kiwi’s still do, go overseas and party like it’s 1999.

Basically 1999 was still in the future ( how old fashioned ), when I returned and in 1992 along with my best friend Jonathan Rugg started” The Wood & Box Company”. We made glory boxes, wine racks, trays etc and sold them directly to the general public via “The Great New Zealand Craft Show”. Fortunately we did not know about carbon footprints in those days. Ours was powerful giant as we travelled from Whangarei to Invercargill doing 23 Homeshows and Craftshows a year!

As it seems we did party in 1999 as that was the year we sold “The Wood & Box Company”. Unhappily it now only exists on Trademe, so if you want a preloved wine or CD rack check it out.

The better news is you can still buy my Ian Blackwell products. I have taken all my technical talents and experience from over the years to develop a range I am really happy with. I am happily wed and live with my spouse, half a dog ( that’s another story ) and 2 moggies on Auckland’s West Coast. Life is good. If you got this far thanks for your interest.

Where do we get our inspiration from?

Living in this part of the Earth you do not want to look far…. We try and soak a piece of New Zealand into each piece we create. Using a mix of traditional and new woodworking methodologies we produce a range of giftware that mixes the aesthetics of Aotearoa functionally and practically. We’ve got the latest laser
Technology enabling us to provide quality and quantity either to your specifications or ours.

Purchase Ian Blackwell and other NZ Designers gifts at Toggle.