Meet the Makers
We bring together two very different backgrounds: John in construction, having helped deliver thousands of family homes, and Kevin in physical product design, developing consumer products. But High & Dry is also the story of two families, tired of the same old problem: where do we dry the clothes without giving up the backyard?
Like you, we balance work, kids, and the never-ending laundry pile. We loved drying clothes outdoors, but wanted a full family-size clothesline without permanently giving up our outdoor space.
We knew there had to be a better way - we just didn't know yet what it would look like.
Kevin, Amanda, John & Catherine
The Lightbulb Moment
The spark for High & Dry didn't happen in a boardroom. It came from seeing the same problem in real homes, again and again.
Having overseen the construction of over 3,000 homes for major housebuilders, John noticed a surprisingly common problem. Outdoor spaces were getting smaller, but traditional clotheslines were staying big, fixed and permanent. Homeowners regularly wanted them moved or removed altogether so they could get their space back for BBQs, kids' football and everyday family life.
There was already the seed of a solution. John's family engineering business had produced mobile clotheslines for many years. John and Kevin believed that idea could be developed into something better suited to modern family life.
We Listened to You
We didn't just guess what you wanted. We built it, tested it and took it on the road. We took our early clothesline to trade shows and spoke to thousands of people.
The feedback was remarkably consistent: people loved the freedom to move a full load, but they also wanted the clothesline to disappear when they were finished with it. So John and Kevin went back to the drawing board together. John's construction experience meeting Kevin's product design background, to solve the hardest part: making it properly retractable.
After years of development and refinement, we got there: a robust, portable clothesline with room for a full family load that opens to 185cm, then folds down to just 30cm - literally the width of your old school ruler.
Trusted by the Best
What started with small batches, trade shows and conversations has grown into High & Dry today. We've now sold thousands of clotheslines to families looking for more flexibility from their outdoor drying.
But our favourite feedback still comes from the families who tell us they've finally got their backyard back.
Thank you for being part of the journey.