Neal grew up in rural New Zealand with feet firmly on the ground. Mountains, rivers, lakes and sea were the settings for adventure and the breeding ground for observation, curiosity and making 'things'.

He graduated from the Wellington School of Design but being aware of the void between academia and hands-on furniture making, spent 6 years working with a group of skilled cabinetmakers.  

A natural evolution led to becoming head designer for New Zealand's largest furniture manufacturer and to experience the realities of large scale mass production and marketing; locally and internationally.

However with the ‘realities’ of the mass market came the conflict of an unexpressed personal design ethos, leading to the creation of Neal Smith Design as an independent design practice.       

Observations and Comments :

"This dining table has a refined and sensitive aesthetic - it has clarity, it is airy - it is what it is."

Ristomatti Ratia

Finnish designer and son of Armi Ratia, founder of Marimekko.

Mariko Tanaka Artist - Tokyo Japan

Cloudy Bay Vineyard -The Shack - Marlborough New Zealand - Best Spatial Award (Gold)                                                     

"When we chose the furniture for the Cloudy Bay Shack, the finer details were important to us.  So when we were looking for some practical but interesting dining chairs to go into the long dining area, we turned to Neal Smith Design.  From the start, Neal's approach was to listen to our requirements carefully and  to suggest a solution tailored to those.  He modified the finish of his Planar chairs to our particular space and aesthetic at Cloudy Bay. The bespoke brown karakul felt layer on the chairs finished them off perfectly.  The Planar chairs are light but  very strong - a perfect counterpoint to the heaviness of the aged copper dining table they are placed around. I would not hesitate to recommend Neal Smith Design for an international aesthetic grounded with a New Zealand sense of practicality."

Ian Morden                                                                                  

Estate Director

Cloudy Bay Vineyard - Marlborough - New Zealand

"I want to sit at that table and eat with you - it is a peaceful table"

John & Margaret van Kan Auckland NZ

"What first attracted us to Neal’s furniture was its understated elegance. To our eyes it had light, floating quality and yet was simple, functional and timeless. Now, having half a dozen of his pieces in our home and having lived with them for some
time we know all of this to be true. It has been a pleasure to mesh his design skills to our needs in furniture. We have always
appreciated his receptiveness to our input, his ability to develop ideas for a piece in all sorts of directions and to pull a beautiful finished product together. That product, in our view always has lasting value. It is durable in so many ways and we are glad that we have had the chance to work with such a craftsman".

Shaun and Lorraine McCarthy Wellington. NZ

“We discovered Neal when we saw his Planar dining table and chairs at a Kiwi expat’s home in Switzerland. As well as being a beautiful design, they were the most comfortable dining chairs I have ever sat on. So I was hooked from the start. Neal designed one to the dimensions we needed and talked us through options on wood selection. We went for American Ash which just looks fantastic (and is very comfortable!) We also talked with Neal about designing a cabinet that would act as a living room storage facility and also hold the television equipment under our flat screen TV. Since this was to be located quite close to the dining table, he designed one that matches the Planar top design. It is a stunning piece of furniture. We are now asking Neal to design another table and chair set for our beach house!”
 

From the Beginning