OUR APPROACH
Design. Materials. Craftsmanship
Our approach to the furniture designs we offer is based on three equal values. Design is what catches our eye and interest. Quality of materials, including hardwood timber, fabric, leather, wool, glass, and hardware is the second value. We edit with extreme care those materials we choose, and only work with companies where the provenance of the materials is clear. Finally, craftsmanship closes the loop of sustainability. With all three of these values held closely, the final result will be a product that remains beautiful and useful for life.
History of Form & Function
Form & Function started originally in Winnipeg in 1980, by Jack McCullough. With a long-standing appreciation for well-crafted objects, he opened the shop, offering beautiful and well-designed housewares and casual furniture. In May of 1983, Jack reopened Form & Function in Vancouver with interior designer Susan Nemeth. Over the past 40 years, the business evolved from selling colourful, well-designed home accessories to designing and building, in their own workshop, an infinite range of completely bespoke hardwood furniture including tables, chairs, cabinets and much more.
Over the years, we have also added a carefully curated selection of furniture and decor brands that complement not only the look and feel of our in-house range, but also our own values and ethos. We have a specific set of criteria that our supplier partners must meet, which include the source and quality of their raw materials, the location where they manufacture, the experience of their craftsmen and women and much more. We have had our longest partnerships for 20 to 35 years with Barlow Tyrie of England, Duvivier of France and Royal-Pedic of California because they, too, make furniture for keeps.
Meet Jack and Susan
Susan Nemeth
Graduating from the University of Manitoba with a degree in Interior Design, Susan has been designing spaces and furniture for over 40 years. She teamed up with Jack in 1983 to open Form & Function in Vancouver, where she has been helping clients plan their spaces and designing furniture that fits ever since. She lives and breathes floor plans. No space is too tiny, too awkward for her problem-solving brain. Working in collaboration with our team of local craftsmen, Susan guides the creative process of building furniture that lasts generations.
Jack McCullough
Jack’s entry into retail came after his teen years spent as an avid skier and road and track cyclist, the latter passion landing him on Canada’s team at the 1972 Summer Olympics. Growing up in Winnipeg, he opened his first retail store there in 1974, selling bicycles and cross country skis. Restless after six years, he switched, as he says, from athletics to aesthetics, and opened Form & Function in 1980. Now, over 40 years later, he manages much of the day to day operation of the business, from sourcing products and materials, visiting and engaging with suppliers, handing shipping and freight, but most of all, he enjoys being surrounded by beautiful designs in natural materials, and introducing new customers to the world of Form & Function.
Made To Fit
Our locally-made hardwood furniture range, Verus, is designed and built by us in our own Vancouver workshop. We believe that you shouldn’t have to choose between a limited selection of stock sizes and so we build to fit your exact needs. From dining tables, coffee tables, side tables, sideboards, dining chairs, beds and storage units, our in-house designer will work with you and your space to find the perfect solution. Choose from our range of sustainably-harvested wood species, various wood finishes and quality upholstery fabrics. This is furniture that fits.
“We have been loyal Form & Function customers for over twenty years and both our home and new backyard Lanehouse are filled with furniture both superbly custom crafted in Form and Function's local workshop, and imported pieces specifically chosen by Susan and Jack for their quality and design. Susan has provided invaluable advice and design ideas over the years, and Jack has a deep understanding and appreciation of materials and build quality.”
Clients Pascale and Graham, Vancouver BC
Our Vancouver Workshop
Nestled in the blossoming neighbourhood of Mount Pleasant, our Vancouver workshop is where our Verus range is built. We are lucky to work with three incredible craftsman with unparalleled skills. With our Verus collection built locally, we have full control of the quality and longevity of each piece.
Our Partners
Over the past 40 years since Form & Function began, we have worked with a relatively small number of partner suppliers. Keeping that number small means that we have a deep understanding of the materials, craftsmanship and sustainability of each. Our partners exclusively build their products in either Canada, France, the UK, Morocco or the USA.