Creating furniture for an Australian lifestyle means that contemporary design meets both indoors and outdoors in a sophisticated and appealing package. As a designer, Franco Crea appreciates our lifestyle — after all, he lives here — and he understands what makes a house a home, what the needs and requirements might be and then crafts outstanding furniture to match.
As a designer and maker, Franco Crea’s eponymous design practice celebrates local with showrooms in Richmond, Victoria and Adelaide, South Australia. With a diverse and wide-spread clientele, his many collections and custom-made pieces can be purchased in-store and online, where they are delivered across the nation. Along with his own creations, Crea’s retail stores and website also display lighting and objects from other Australian designer/makers.
Crea has always been passionate about great design and studied interior architecture and furniture design, then established FrancoCrea in 2013. Now, in 2025, with a team of five, he is powering ahead — conceiving, creating and manufacturing in greater numbers than ever before.
“Within my work, beauty alone is never enough. Each design must also be usable and meaningful. Through materiality and the quiet stories that dwell within them, each piece I design creates a reflection of person and place, woven with meaning.
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Our studio moves to the rhythm of authenticity. It’s the thread that binds everything we do. From unveiling original new designs to helping people understand what authenticity means when selecting furniture and objects for their homes. With the rise of mass-produced knockoffs and dupes, we see our practice as an antidote to fast furniture,” Crea explains.
Crea’s designs are timeless and there are multiple collections for residential and commercial projects. The sleek Vista range of sofas and chairs sits perfectly outdoors, while the plush La Crea sofa and armchair enhance any interior.
Crea comments, “The La Crea collection marks our studio’s latest authentic and locally crafted creation. A collection born from my desire to celebrate the partnership I share in design and in life with my wife, Jacqueline Poppy.”
Navigating the studio together, the sofa and armchair collection is a “true celebration of our union, where two distinct creative voices converge in one shared vision,” according to Crea. True to their studio’s design language, La Crea collection embodies refined elegance with a touch of theatre.
“Designed for everyday indulgence as a soft, sculptural sofa to sink into alone or shared with loved ones. With beauty considered from every angle, stiletto legs that lift and lighten and a plush feather wrap that invites you in, La Crea offers timeless elegance and practical ease in equal measure.”
Sustainability is also inherent in his objects, with materials thoughtfully sourced and processes streamlined. With the capability to design and manufacture on site in both Melbourne and Adelaide, the idea of local is integral to the brand and in turn, celebrates Australia.
“As a quiet rebellion against fast furniture, our ethos is rooted in creating pieces that endure. We believe in designing for longevity — creating furniture that can be restored when life leaves its mark and passed down through generations long after we are gone. By choosing to buy once and buy quality, each piece avoids the fate of curbside landfill.” says Crea.
FrancoCrea presents a refined offering to clients and each design is intended to stand the test of time and to become an heirloom of the future. To this end, every piece is name-plated and verified with a certificate of authenticity. It’s one thing to design a sofa but quite another to be proud enough to have your name on it for an indeterminable time for all to see.
While there are sofas and armchairs, a variety of tables and chairs and even a room divider, the continuum between each piece is the pared-back style, the simplicity of line and the refined resolution. Comfort is, of course, assured; however, there is real star power that radiates from each object that makes Crea’s designs stand out.
As the public now understands that Australian design and designers can deliver on every level, FrancoCrea is at the forefront of the surge of interest and investment in locally made furniture. As a point in fact, bespoke commissions for 2025 have closed, but the studio is taking orders for next year.
It’s a challenging journey for so many product designers to design and manufacture their creations in Australia, be competitive and remain profitable — but this is one designer who is creating for the future and doing it with infinite style through objects that everyone will desire.
