Rodney Macuja
When Bendigo-based Susannah and Sommerville Monotti bought their first house, they didn’t have a table, so they made one. These days that same table is piled high with smaller offerings such as wooden spoons, chopping boards, bowls and salad servers, each item hand-cut in their garden shed from blackwood, salvaged Huon pine, blackheart sassafras and other Tasmanian timbers.
How do you choose your timber, Susannah?
When you go into a mill and you’re surrounded by wood it’s very special. Grains vary depending on the age of the tree or where it grew, so we always look for slabs with the most distinct markings.
Do you use a lot of salvaged wood?
Six years ago we started milling the old red gum that was on the ground at my dad’s property at Euroa. After five years of air-drying, we’ve just been able to get our first pick: big red-gum boards with beautiful, natural edges.
What makes a good chopping board?
It’s very personal. Each timber has a different feel and a different smell; people want to rub their hands along the top and feel what it’s like to pick up. A moat or a groove to rest a steak on is a common request, too.
Notts Timber Design‘s kitchenware from $35
Clockwise from left: blackheart sassafras wok spoon; red gum stirring spoon; Huon pine spatula; Tasmanian blackwood paddle board; teaspoons (left to right) in blackheart sassafras, red gum and Huon pine; mini spatulas (left to right) in Tasmanian blackwood, Huon pine and red gum; blackheart sassafras mini spatula; Tasmanian blackwood teaspoon; red gum salad bowl; blackheart sassafras salad servers.
