Meet the duo crafting with timber and textiles in their Cooloola workshop
Between school drop-offs, home renovations and plenty of cups of coffee, the vision for Barlow & Brooks started to build. But it had never exactly been the plan.
Aviva Brookman and Lachlan Barlow.
“We definitely fell into it a little bit. It wasn’t this big, planned thing,” shares Aviva Brookman, one half of Barlow & Brooks.
After years of working in fashion, including time in New York, Aviva had lived and breathed textiles for years. The way a garment fell, how it shifted in movement. The way a certain stitch could change a silhouette.
The day after the state borders opened back up, they borrowed a family member’s caravan and made their way north from Melbourne, craving a change of scenery. “We started driving up the east coast without a plan. We have family in the Tewantin, Cooroy area, and they’d been trying to convince us to move up this way. We needed a fresh start somewhere,” says Aviva.
“We needed to get our Covid test and the line was just too long in Noosa, so we decided to drive up here to Gympie instead. We drove past this cute house with a ‘for sale’ sign out front. Very casually, we called the number on the sign, had a chat, had a look around, and offered what we could, and it was accepted. It was a whim, we were very nervous, but we thought, what do we have to lose?”
After relocating from Melbourne, the change of pace and the strong sense of community created the space for something new.
“We definitely fell into it a little bit. It wasn’t this big, planned thing.”
Purchasing an older home with plenty of updates needed, Aviva and Lachy slowly started to give their new home their own touch. “We had champagne taste on a budget, so we DIY’d everything, but really tried to level it up,” says Aviva. “We did everything ourselves, the kitchen, the furniture, all of it. And I think people started noticing.”
With Aviva’s background in upholstery and Lachy’s eye for design and time as a furniture maker, it all started falling into place.
“I don’t think we would have done this if we hadn’t moved here,” they say. “People get behind you. It’s not competition, it’s collaboration.”
All unravelling organically, their workshop space came about rather unexpectedly, sharing the floor with Josh Shadbolt at Carve Cabinetry who they became friends with during school drop-offs. In a way, the shared space and some shared equipment took the pressure off.
Now just over a year into business, they’re constantly busy with restoration and reupholstery projects. They’ve also started working on their own collection of custom designs.
“I don’t think we would have done this if we hadn’t moved here. People get behind you. It’s not competition, it’s collaboration.”
In all their work, reclaimed timber plays a major role. “It can look like rubbish at first, but once you strip it back, it’s beautiful,” says Lachy.
“We get a lot of heirloom furniture, things that mean a lot to people. Restoring those is really special. You’re giving it another life.”
“That’s the best part, combining what we each do and creating something from scratch,” adds Aviva.
Between raising their young children and growing Barlow & Brooks, the couple is certainly busy. But they say they wouldn’t have it any other way. “It was always the goal to create a lifestyle that feels right for us.”
And they’ve found that balance.
“There’s no one I trust more,” says Aviva. “He’s the timber expert, I’m the fabric expert, and we respect each other’s strengths. We even get to have lunch together.”
