Brothers Jack and Mark Fearon first began working together making industrial water trucks, which led to the inspiration behind the duo’s first solo design and now signature Chub stool. “We had leftover parts of water trucks [in our warehouse] and I needed some bedside tables for the place we had just moved into,” Jack says.
Having worked as a boilermaker and plumber respectively, Mark and Jack founded their eponymous furniture label Fearon in 2019 after playing around with aluminium offcuts and doing custom jobs for friends. “Our dad is a boilermaker too, so we both sort of knew how to weld from like 10 years old just from helping him,” Jack explains.
Now the pair use those skills inside their fabrication workshop in Burleigh Heads, Queensland, creating playful aluminium objects designed to bring joy to any space. You might recognise its distinctive chunky and bold pieces from Instagram (and spotted in Zoë Foster Blake’s home). Among the offerings are seats, stools, drawers, side tables, bed frames and coffee tables made in Fearon’s typical tubular aesthetic.
“Steel and aluminium is pretty cold, so we try and add a ceramic sort of feel to it. Ceramics are obviously cold as well, but it always feels warmer when it’s on a shelf.”
There’s something futuristic yet nostalgic behind Fearon’s functional pieces of art. Perhaps because the duo find inspiration in Marvel films – more specifically Iron Man’s house and spaceships – and take references from the ’90s and 2000s skate vibe.
Since its first iteration, the Chubs and Big Chubs have evolved into a larger collection riffing off its cheeky curvaceous form. There’s now the Cub, a low coffee table; the Hug, a long bench seat; the Window, a chair-like design; and the Yum dining table. Each comes in a rainbow of hues from bright red and yellow, to lilac and Wedgwood blue. Or pick neutrals like black, white and brown.
Pieces are handmade by Mark and Jack from off-the-shelf extrusion including different types of pipes and box sections. “If we can use a 200-millimetre tube, which you could buy off the shelf, rather than making something 220 millimetres then we can keep all our prices accessible,” Jack explains. “A big part of our stuff is we change the shape of what’s already available instead of completely customising something.”
Other styles include Drew’s Drawers – “They were for my daughter. Her name’s Drew” – featuring smiley face handles and rugged legs. And Jack’s personal favourite, the Martyna table complete with an oval top, zigzag legs and iceblock-stick-like supports. Style it as a dining table (fit for four to eight guests), a desk or an outdoor counter.
Designs are generally customisable in colour and size. As everything is made from aluminium, Fearon’s pieces are tough enough for both indoor and outdoor use. Plus, there are no glues, which means you can easily get pieces re-powder-coated if you ever want to change the colour, Jack says.
Up next, the duo are collaborating with Brisbane skate collective Middle Store to transform their furniture into skateable street art.
Shop Fearon’s designs in person at its temporary showroom in Byron Bay’s new Banksia Drive design precinct, opening in early May. Or buy online and email the team for custom enquiries.
For more local furniture labels head here.
