Zuster

Zuster is Dutch for sister, but in terms of Australian contemporary design, it’s become synonymous with beautiful bespoke furniture. Design Director Wilhelmina McCarroll and her sister, Managing Director Fleur Sibbel, have worked to grow Zuster into an international success with a manufacturing plant in Melbourne, and retail stores in Sydney and Melbourne and online. Designing and producing beautiful creations for living started three generations ago in Holland with the girls grandfather Herman Sibbel building refined homes that suited the landscape and the people who inhabited them. This passion and ability was passed on to his son Meyer Sibbel, the girls father, who continued the building business in Australia, Sibbel Builders, and is now still a large part of Zuster.

Wilhelmina followed in her father’s footsteps, fusing his Dutch design sensibility with her love of contemporary Australian design and was inspired to study Furniture Technology at RMIT and start the business in 1994. Sister, Fleur joined the family business in 1996 on invitation from her father Meyer to manage the business and help with an unexpected and exciting demand for a small furniture collection Wilhelmina had designed during her studies. The items were produced in the cabinet making factory Meyer used to produce the kitchens and cabinets for the houses he designed and built through Sibbel Builders during the 1960’s to 1990’s. Wilhelmina had presented the furniture items to one retailer in Melbourne and within a few days the business had four furniture stockists, busily selling the new collection on their showroom floors. The orders had started rolling in at an incredibly fast pace.

Zuster offers a full range of fully customisable furniture items for every room of the house and office with a range of homewares to compliment. You will find Zuster furniture, homewares and its design influence in homes and corporate offices across Australia.

“I believe people have been through a period of empty consumption, sourcing international product based on price or international brand reputation, often these products have disappointed and ended up on the nature strip for rubbish collection. People are caring more and more about what they are consuming, eating as well as material purchases. They care where it comes from, who designed it. how it was crafted and how long it will last. They also want products that suit their specific needs, lifestyle and home. They want products that have been thoughtfully designed , have a high level of quality and can be customised is size, colour and configuration to suit them and their family individually. Zuster meets that desire with and extensive collection of over 200 items, each with full customisation options, timber finish choices, full Dulux colour options and endless possibilities to create made for you and your lifestyle. The fact that we have such a rich design heritage and that we manufacture such a high quality product here in Australia really resinates with people.”   Fleur Sibbel

Zuster is specified by some of the top interior designers and architects in Australia. It is frequently featured in the major design and lifestyle magazines and newspapers in Australia as well as many overseas magazines and blogs with international recognition for its Stella table design and interior design projects. Zuster has collaborated with some of the biggest names in the industry and won awards for manufacturing excellence.

“When designing, I think about how people live and what we enjoy in our own homes rather than following industry trends. Every customer has very specific needs and we pride ourselves on developing bespoke solutions with our clients that are functional and beautiful. When you buy a Zuster piece it’s for a lifetime. Our craftsmen are true artists who create each piece from start to finish, adding their own touch while achieving Zuster’s signature style. There is such a skill in making refined furniture and we are proud to support Australian talents.” Wilhelmina McCarroll

In 2014 Zuster celebrated 20 years of business launching its Tribute collection designed with favourite elements of Zuster furniture from the past twenty years.

A home is where you live and an office is where you work. What you fill them with is who you are.

Zuster is breakfast, lunch, a dinner party, an important meeting, a customer gathering, where special things go, relaxing, thinking, celebrating, enjoying entertainment, family time, sleeping and waking.

Zuster is dedicated to the enjoyment of your space.