Along with my usual moodboard on a Sunday, (I love creating these :) please also find following a little story about a beautiful piece of natural stone that started it's life in Brazil millions of years ago... It caught our eye in Draenert's Stone Park on Lake Constance in Germany and is now on our Showroom floor in Sydney Australia. This went out to our subscribers. Subscribe using the tab on the right of your browser - hope you enjoy! - Terri
Inspiration | nature's neutral - leafy greens
Explore the leafy luxury of "Nature's Neutral - Green 🌿". From deep olives to vibrant spring buds and limes, green offers a vast palette that can infuse the tranquility of a leafy grove into your interior.
FREIFRAU | JANUA | DRAENERT
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For those who have been following us lately, you’ve likely seen the stunning arrival of the Draenert Trilope table, crafted from the extraordinary Avocatus natural stone. Yes, that’s its real name! Designed by the esteemed Wolfgang CR Mezger and made in Germany by Draenert, this piece has quickly become a favourite in our collection.
Currently, we have it beautifully paired with the Freifrau Leyasol Armchair, featuring a bronze frame and lush green Riga velvet corduroy fabric. The combination is nothing short of mesmerising.
One of the greatest joys of my job is exploring incredible products from around the world. However, this also makes it challenging—deciding what to buy when faced with so many beautiful options. The collection in our showrooms results from careful curation from some of the world's finest brands.
Each piece deserves its own spotlight, but it’s the harmonious relationship between these furniture pieces and accessories that truly excites me. This is what I strive to perfect with every buying trip.
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Our latest addition, the Draenert Trilope Table (160cm) in Avocatus natural stone, is paired with the Freifrau Leyasol chair in a bronze frame and Riga 'Sauge' fabric. Complementing these pieces are the Tom Dixon Tank Series in a new green hue and the iittala Finlandia vase in moss, adorned with flowers from my mum and dad 😍.
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Many of you know that top3 by design started with small, beautifully designed objects over 22 years ago (in 2001). Over the past decade, we’ve expanded to include furniture and interiors, featuring Scandi favourites like Muuto, Normann Copenhagen, and Audo, along with UK icon Tom Dixon. Through this journey, I discovered my true passion: curating furniture and accessories from the world’s best brands into one cohesive space. Not divided by brand, but living harmoniously together, inspiring our clients to create spaces that make them feel their best.
I’ve long held a heartfelt philosophy of buying less and buying better. This principle has taken us to Cologne and enabled us to connect with German design icons who share this vision.
A Family Affair
My husband Bernd, who is German, has always been involved in top3, with many dinner conversations over the years focusing on design and business. During Covid, he decided to close his advertising agency after 35 years and join me full-time at top3. It’s been fabulous, and sometimes challenging :) to have him here every day, significantly influencing our business's direction. Speaking of family, we are also thrilled to have our youngest son, Zac, working with us 4 days a week on our online store - so these days it really is a family affair!
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Photo in our Sydney Showroom of the Draenert Trilope Table with the Beautiful Freaifrau Leyasol chairs with sumtuous soft green Riga fabric from Lelievre.
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The German Masters: A New Chapter
Tonight, we begin a series of stories about our trip to Germany last year, introducing you to some key characters in this journey. Every piece of furniture that arrives in Australia has a story behind it. These pieces don’t just “turn up”; they represent a journey. Over the coming weeks, I will delve into different pieces and share their stories, offering you a real experience—so please excuse my photography skills from time to time!
Last October, Bernd and I embarked on one of our annual trips to Germany, specifically to visit two of our favourite German brands, Janua and Freifrau. This trip also allowed us to expand our relationship with Moeller Design and Bordbar and discover a new partner. Little did we know, this journey would solidify a new direction for top3, which we now fondly refer to as "The German Masters."
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An Unforgettable Experience
When visiting Freifrau at the end of last year, we stayed in Lemgo, the hometown of Freifrau, visiting their beautiful showroom and extraordinary production facilities. As always, we selected pieces from the collection, choosing chairs, fabrics, and colours to put into production and make their way to Australia.
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We talked with their dedicated team of craftspeople who handmake every piece of furniture and witnessed the preparation of the Leya Dining Chair firsthand. The attention to detail is second to none.
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Pictured here are Eva, Udo, Terri (me!), and Bernd.
Our journey into our partnership with these German brands was cemented by these incredible humans, Udo and Eva Patzke. They are integral to what gives Janua and Freifrau their "single heartbeat - two brands working as one." They have become great friends over the years as we’ve worked more closely to bring these incredible German brands to Australia. Thank you for your continued support and advice, Udo and Eva!
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I took this photo of the incredible Monolith Table from Janua surrounded by leafy greens and beautiful sage green dining chairs.
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Pictured here are the Ona Bar Stools by Sebastien Herkner in Riga fabric from Lelievre. Freifrau and Janua sure know how to throw a party! The combined forces of these two brands are limitless.
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Bernd and I are pictured here with Christian Siesenberger, founder of Janua, who perform magic with stone and wood tables and other incredible furniture pieces - all designed and made in Germany.
A Memorable Day
After a long, exhilarating day of exploring manufacturing facilities and selecting fabrics and pieces to be sent to Australia, it was time for a drink in their in-house bar.
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The Start of Something New
Following a customer inquiry about natural stone extendable tables, Bernd and I visited another German design-icon brand, Draenert, at Lake Constance. Draenert is a 55-year-old company based in the stunning Bodensee region of Germany. We were captivated by Draenert's offerings. What started as a few hours on a Friday afternoon turned into an extended stay so we could spend Saturday with Robert, the export manager, selecting pieces to kickstart our Australian-German relationship with Draenert. Robert, pictured left in the photo above with Dr. Patric Draenert (the founder's son who now runs the company and designs many pieces), was incredibly generous with his time. Those of you who attended our "Art of Stone" evening met him on the "big screen" and learned from his extensive knowledge of natural stone. Robert will be visiting Australia later this year—stay tuned!
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A well-earned lunch on the Bodensee after our meetings with Draenert. Can't be all work and no play :)
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Bernd exploring the Avocatus stone offering at the legendary Draenert Stone Park, which houses over 150 types of Natural Atone and marble from all around the globe. | Browse the Draenert Stone Database
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Pictured above: The Trilope table outside in the Draenert HQ garden. We were also super tempted by this mesmerising "Dreaming Green" Natural stone, but went with Avocatus for our first Trilope in Austrai. Currently in our Sydney Showroom.
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The Draenert Nebra coffee table with swivel top. Chose your preferred stone or glass on the upper or lower layer to create your own version. The swivel works like a dream (or course!) The Nebra with Azul Mary and smoked glass with bronze frame is in our Melbourne Showroom.
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Photo of me in Lemgo, Germany - very comfortably seated on the Freifrau Leyasol chair at the beautiful Bronze Monolith tables by Janua.
I hope you’ve enjoyed this glimpse into how these exquisite pieces arrive in Australia and the story behind them.
I will do the same for other products and brands in our collection.
Visit our Sydney or Melbourne showrooms to explore the "German Masters" and experience the Leya Dining Series and Trilope Table for yourself.
If you can't make it in, let me know. We're happy to set up a FaceTime or video call to give you a personal, up-close look at your favourite pieces.
Terri Winter
Founder + Curator,
top3 by design
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MOODBOARD | GALLERY OF INCLUSIONS
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Photo taken in Lemgo at Freifrau's HQ and Showroom. These chairs have now landed in Australia!
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This photo of the Aalto vase was taken on a visit to my dentist - Martina, who has the most calm + stylish dental clinic around! Martina Dental
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Photo taken in our Sydney Showroom. Draenert Trilope Table and Freifrau Leya Dining chairs.
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Walking through Draenert's legendary Stone Park is like wandering through a museum. This Bernd exploring our options for the Avocatus Stone from Brazil. We selected our slab for the Trilope Table.
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DID YOU CATCH ANNA UTZON'S MIDWEEK DESIGN UPDATE?
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in the zone
Welcome our new brand - Zone Denmark - just landed in both our Sydney and Melbourne showrooms.
This award winning brand interprets trends in close dialogue with innovative Danish designers. The result is functional design that beautifies everyday life. The design expression is honest and minimalist. | READ BLOG >
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SHOWROOMS IN SYDNEY + MELBOURNE
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