Furniture For Thought_Forestier Gardens have long been a source of inspiration. Milton’s epic poem, Paradise Lost published in 1667, was inspired by the Garden of Eden…a place which may or may not have existed somewhere in Iranian Azerbaijan, or downtown Bankstown. So it should come as no surprise that the eccentric Frenchman Bernard Forestier should be inspired by the formal gardens he discovered while traipsing the cobbled streets of Paris. It was specifically the proportionality of gardens, their overall balance and the elegant combination of alternating straight lines and curves providing a fragile balance between nature and design Forestier’s passion for topiary and beautiful things was matched only by his love of the materials he worked with. Never one to march to the beat of another’s drum, he saw the botanical arts being introduced into the home, including the creation of woven metal wire items. He eventually turned to materials as different as rusted metal, zinc, and cast iron in order to present new designs that were lightweight and well-structured, combing French flair with humour. After Forestier’s untimely death, Gilles Dalliere took over the company’s creative course with a view to make each and every piece unique. The change in direction saw a focus on luxury and natural items. Today, Forestier under Jean Dominique Leze focuses on light and the many ways in which it is reflected. Unusual tools and solutions, new technology (such as solar and LED) combine with new forms of know-how to convey the poetic and aesthetic spirit of the company. KE-ZU’s Mark Swanton was introduced to Forestier through designer Arik Levy: “We were in Manila when Arik introduced me to his dear friend JD [Jean-Dominique Leze] With those two personalities and their ways of thinking, I knew the future together would be inspiring.” With key products as diverse and imaginative as In & Out, Angelius, Cage, SPI, Antenna, Mesh, Blow and East, it’s difficult to pin Forestier down to a specific niche. “Usually Forestier fills market gaps you didn’t realise existed until they design the product  that fills a gap,” says Swanton. “Like most of the KE-ZU collection, Forestier’s identity is unique, yet enhances and compliments everything else we offer. Arik Levy and Noé Duchaufour-Lawrance not only design for Forestier, but also other manufacturers represented by KE-ZU.