Hi, I'm Noémie, I make geometric wood art and homeware.

Person with a red sweater leaning over a geometric wooden artwork against a blue sky.

Originally from France, I've called New Zealand home for the past ten years. I've worked as a graphic designer for over a decade and still do, freelance, alongside my wood work — mostly with small studios and brands whose work actually means something to me.

Around 2020, I got tired of the office grind, tired of screens. I'd been craving something hands-on and more meaningful for years. My partner had just retrained as a cabinet maker, so we suddenly had basic tools and wood scraps at home we didn't have before. I made my first piece – a simple mosaic wall piece. It felt good in a way graphic design hadn't for a long time: handcrafting something beautiful from wood that was headed for the tip.

My design background gave me an eye – for composition, for what works together and what doesn't. Wood just became another medium to put that to use, a way to express the same artistic instinct through something physical instead of a screen. I've always been drawn to craft in general – I also do some screen printing, some sewing – anything made by hand. In a world where AI is growing fast, that kind of skill feels more important than ever to me.

Geometry and pattern are what drive my work aesthetically. Each piece is made slowly, by hand, letting the pattern evolve organically as I go. I'm not a trained woodworker – I've learned all of this by doing, and wood doesn't always cooperate. Pieces crack, boards don't sit flat. But that's the process, and being a perfectionist, things take the time they take…

I work from a tiny shed by the Clutha River in Luggate, Wānaka. Most of the wood I use comes from op-shops, old furniture, offcuts my partner brings home from work, and the odd donation from building sites. I rarely buy timber – that's not the point.

I want my pieces to last, and their intricate patterns to draw interest – not something trend-driven, but something you keep noticing new things in over the years. Wood doesn't go out of style.

I also take on custom pieces from time to time, alongside exhibition work and smaller design pieces around town.

If you're after something custom, get in touch.