Rueben Bloom
‘Made By Rueben’
On Rueben Bloom’s website the bi-line says ‘Just an ordinary boy hand making and designing extraordinary products from my home in Sydney, Australia.’
Rueben is not ordinary and far from it. When other kids his age were skate-boarding, in front of screens, surfing or doing whatever most kids do when not at school, Rueben was out reclaiming different foraged natural materials to make all sorts of beautiful objects with his hands.
Initially, he began doing this when his mum had a serious accident in 2013. Rueben created a basket from vines he found in the garden of their home to cheer her up. This was the catalyst for starting his business, and soon started receiving orders when he and his mum would upload images of his wares on Instagram.
Rueben enjoys collecting objects and reclaiming timber that he can recycle and repurpose, transforming them into something beautiful. This passion for creating sculptures and handmade gifts started as early as he can remember – having never bought a birthday or Christmas gift for anyone in his life as he has always crafted his gifts by hand.
Having recently finished high school, and having just launched his website we thought we would show you his minimal and sustainable homewares.
Q & A
Are you happy now that school is finished and you can concentrate on your passion for making things full time?
Absolutely I am! I loved school and really enjoyed learning with very positive and supportive teachers, most of them encouraged me to continue with what I loved doing, although others preferred I just studied!!
Having the time to think and take it slow, navigating the world of furniture making and creating, but also selling and engaging with my customers has allowed me to dive deeper into it! My business never leaves my head, it's always there and unlike most jobs that allow you to switch off after finishing, I don’t ever set my own hours. The sporadic nature of it whilst challenging at times reinforces and reminds me that it is something I care about immensely and never want to drift from. I'm always thinking of small new ideas, thinking of ways to do things better, and how I can better my processes.
Do you think growing up on Sydney's northern beaches has made you appreciate nature and natural materials so much? I feel like there are plenty of kids who grow up in the same area who are not as in tune - what do you think has made you that way?
My love for nature and creating things stems from as young as I can remember, it's only recently I’ve developed a passion into a business. Our area is gorgeous and provides an abundance of materials that can be transformed into something beautiful, it’s how you go to get there that matters to me. Mum and dad always encourage me to get outside, building cubby houses and collecting shells are all something I have never stopped doing! I always encourage anyone who has an interest in any kind of building/creating or wants to start selling things to just build it for a loved one first, you will always put the most amount of effort and thought into something that way. I think dad encouraged me to just create for the love and joy of it before anything else has led me to where I am now. I believe everyone is capable of achieving anything, it's the way you set your mind and heart on getting there is that matters most!
I see you've started making some furniture items (apart from the log stools/tables) , is this the next evolution for your brand? Do you want to expand in this direction?
I've recently purchased some new machinery and equipment which allows me to dive further into the world of furniture making. Although my process may be more efficient, I still prefer to take the extra hour to de-nail a piece of recycled timber than buying new timber. There is such an abundance of it and the joy of transforming it into a functional and beautiful piece is much more rewarding for me. My vision is to slowly undertake more difficult furniture-making tasks (Tables & TV cabinets) and refine my skills whilst staying true to my roots of recycling and using what’s around me rather than just buying it. I think this definitely is the next step in my business, it's always an amazing feeling looking back when creating something new.
“You can resell anything but can’t always create something someone else wants, I think my family has taught me that not everything you create will be loved by everyone, that’s okay! Creating from my heart, creating something I love is all I’ll ever want to do, if others like it, that’s the wonderful bonus.”
What are your favourite things to…
Smell? The smell of cedar timber is amazing!
Hear? I love listening to music whilst building, all kinds to be honest.
Taste? When I was in Italy… Every pasta dish is incredible, especially since the pasta is made from scratch right there!
See? I love walking around the rocks, looking out when you can’t see a single house or anything man-made, that’s my favourite.
Touch? Old antique furniture, it sounds weird but when you realise thousands of days have gone by and it’s still silky smooth, that blows me away.
Find RuEben Online
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Landscape Design Woolhara
ARD were asked to create a garden that reflected the classic and refined style of the house and interiors.