Located in North Fitzroy, Melbourne, Hercynia silva is a furniture and design business and creative partnership between Michael Conole and Viveka de Costa.
We produce hand-made timber furniture incorporating complimentary materials, such as leather and marble. Our designs reflect a long-standing interest in archaic and traditional furniture, while remaining utilitarian and simply adorned.
In addition to furniture, we collaborate with architects, artists and designers. Our design service enables clients to realise creative ideas utilising our familiarity with timber and related media.
Michael is a Furniture maker and has worked in various capacities with timber for 20 years. Having studied prehistory, his approach to his craft is conditioned by historical precedents in western art and material culture. His design process involves research and experimentation in allied disciplines. Michael’s work has been featured in recent issues of both Artichoke and Architectural Review magazines.
Viveka is a graphic and web designer with a background in fine art. She has been working in the design field for 10 years, including time teaching design at Swinburne and Monash Universities. Viveka manages the business in addition to working as a designer externally – currently for the Victorian AIDS Council. Recently Viveka and Michael collaborated on the design and illustration of several publications for VATE, the Victorian Association for the teaching of English. You can see examples of their art and design work at Hercynia silva art & design.