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Designing Together for the Australian Outdoors: Our Collaboration with Tait
Renowned Australian brand Tait has been designing and manufacturing outdoor furniture since 1992. Working from its Melbourne factory, the Tait team uses specialised machinery and hand-finishing techniques to create each piece, resulting in enduring products that can be enjoyed for decades.
As part of our 50-year anniversary, we’ve collaborated with Tait to create a three-piece outdoor range. Celebrating the Australian lifestyle, the setting embodies design heritage, quality and craftsmanship—values integral to both Tait and Country Road.
We spoke with Susan and Gordon Tait about the inspiration behind the range, the collaboration process and the unique manufacturing approach that sets Tait designs apart.
What is it that makes Tait designs so special?
We founded Tait to produce well-designed, high-quality outdoor furniture reflective of Australia’s outdoor lifestyle and capable of withstanding the country’s harsh elements. Every piece is made to order and hand-finished in Melbourne. Customers select from a range of Australian-inspired powder coat colours and premium upholstery to suit their outdoor space.
What was the inspiration behind this range?
Drawing inspiration from the 1970s—when Country Road was founded—the range offers a modern interpretation of nostalgic Australian design, with a nod to the Australian poolside experience. The Saltbush name references the hardy Australian native saltbush plant, found across Australia from coastline beaches to inland bush.
How do you envisage people using the pieces in the range?
The Saltbush range is designed to sit as a trio, but each piece will sit elegantly on its own.
The lounger offers smooth tubular curves underneath an extremely comfortable cushion seat. The high-performance upholstery is easily removed for storage, leaving an eye-catching sculptural chair.
The occasional and side tables both have handles incorporated into their designs ensuring they can be easily moved. The tables also nest together, enabling them to be tucked away with a smaller footprint. The versatility of these tables will quickly make them indispensable around the home.
While Tait furniture is designed for a life outside, many of the pieces are suited to the indoors too. We see the Saltbush range sitting comfortably on a poolside deck, inner city courtyard or in a contemporary light-filled living room.
Describe the collaboration process.
It's been a joy to collaborate with the Country Road team over the past 18 months. General manager for Home, Ty Symonds, and designer, Toby Nowland, came to us with a clear brief to capture the heritage of their brand and the essence of the quintessential Australian outdoor lifestyle.
Starting with a blank piece of paper, the Tait and Country Road teams came together for a workshop to explore a range of product possibilities. Through this process, we agreed the lounger and side table suite were the ideal pieces for the collaboration.
From here, our team brought their material knowledge and expertise to refine the design. We built prototypes to test the structural integrity, ergonomics and comfort of the lounge, and to specify the dimensions for the nesting side and occasional tables.
Marking the 50th anniversary of Country Road was at the heart of our design inspiration. The striped bands of the seat frame are a reference to the iconic stripes in the Country Road beach towels. The tailored cushion rises high over the back of the chair, referencing the relaxed nature of the brand. We are incredibly proud of the final Saltbush range. It has been an honour to collaborate with such an iconic Australian brand for this important milestone.
What were the main steps in the manufacturing process?
The Saltbush range is meticulously crafted at Tait’s Melbourne factory, with each piece designed for durability and style.
Production begins with precision-cut steel tubes that are bent using state-of-the-art equipment, trimmed, and welded to create the sturdy frame. The frames are then powder-coated with a UV-stable colour, ensuring a long-lasting finish that resists environmental wear. For the occasional table, the porcelain top is profile-cut and securely fitted to the frame, adding both durability and elegance.
Handmade cushions are crafted from premium fabrics and secured with toggles, offering comfort and refinement. Every step in this process reflects Tait’s commitment to quality, making each Saltbush piece a showcase of Australian craftsmanship.
Tait celebrated 30 years in 2023 and Country Road celebrated its 50th anniversary this year. As long-established Australian brands, what do you think Tait and Country Road each contributed to the collaboration?
Tait and Country Road share a love of the Australian relaxed lifestyle and take inspiration from the unique natural beauty of the landscape which comes together beautifully in this collaboration.
Our businesses also share a commitment to sustainability and longevity. Through this collaboration, we were able to learn from each other's areas of expertise; Country Road’s versatility in designing for Australian homes and Tait’s expertise in designing for a life outside.
Our collaboration with Tait can be viewed at our Chadstone and South Yarra stores and is available to order online.
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