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LB will be closed from 17 Dec 2020 until 11 Jan 2021. Orders placed during this period will be dispatched on our return. Like Butter will be closed from 17 December 2020 until 11 January 2021. Orders placed during this period will be dispatched / can be picked up on our return.

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About Us

We are Like Butter

Like Butter is a design and fabrication business owned and run by industrial designer Jem Selig Freeman and sculptor Laura Woodward. Like Butter has gained a reputation for its approach to design and fabrication that is based on flexible and lateral thinking, strong aesthetics and considered detailing, in order to achieve the simplest and most effective solutions for the project at hand. We achieve this through process, pushing our materials and our machines to their limits. Like Butter has functioned across multiple industries; from its own furniture and lighting products, to one-off commissions for significant design and fabrication projects, to public art installations, through to film and animation production. The common thread? Learning through play, and ‘just making stuff’.

Vision & Mission

We're on a mission to minimise material waste through better design and process, and reduce our carbon footprint to zero. Where a legacy product falls short, we’re phasing it out or redesigning it better. Where investment is needed, we’re backing our vision. Production is now largely solar powered, with our new factory in Castlemaine equipped with 33kWh of roof-top generation. This mission is also why in 2020, we pledged to donate 1% of our gross profit to a tree planting or tree protection not-for-profit, as part of Sawdust Bureau's Treemaker initiative.

Our Team

We're a team of designers, sculptors, musicians and makers. We learn by playing with materials and machines. We're driven by pushing process to the limit and refining each detail as we gain experience. And we care about leaving a positive lasting touch on the planet, through design. Want to learn something from us? Check out our Instagram @likebuttermelbourne which is where Jem shares workshop processes and production updates.

Arron Light

Production Manager, since 2013.

Sarah Bowman

Business Manager, since 2016.

Jem Selig Freeman

Co-Founder, since 2007.

Ralf Rehak

Production Operator, since 2014.

Laura Woodward

Co-Founder, since 2007.

Jonathan Fenderson

Production Operator, since 2017.

Andrew Batson Graham

Production Operator, since 2015.

Our Story

In 2007, we had some stainless steel sculptures that needed to be produced, so we went out and bought a plasma cutter. After almost burning down Jem’s sister’s shed in inner Melbourne, we set about doing metal plasma cutting for local artists and designers. Over time, we transitioned from steel to plywood, with a growing demand for our services leading to investment in machines and our growing team. And nothing much has changed; we're still all about iterative process improvement and making the best stuff we can - and now we offer it delivered directly to you from our custom workshop in Castlemaine, Central Victoria.