It took us some time to find the spot in the middle of the fields full of sheep, but the trip was well worth it.
First of all, it was wonderful to see the process - from a computer image which is shown to the customers before the work starts, to the finished (or almost finished) product. By the way, they use Rhino software to generate 3D images, rather than VectorWorks which I thought was more popular among young designers.
The show room did not have many products, as they tend to produce furniture to order. But the items which were there looked exceptional - variety of woods (and various parts of the trees), complex shapes, and the quality and look which makes the items stand out and differentiate from cheaper producers.
It was interesting to note that they are often invited to advertise, but they feel that they need to be very selective, as there is no point in mass advertising - their products are so expensive that they believe that only 0.5% of population can afford them. I did admire the little side table for over £3000 and yes, I thought that I just cannot spend that much money even if I adore it.
So far their furniture manufacturing process has been very manual and they would create complex and elegant joinery (which justifies the cost). But they are also just about to invest in the computer-controlled machinery which will allow to work on complex shapes with less cost. In addition, they are looking to work with other materials and already established relationships with metal works supplier. I immediately thought that if they are able to combine different materials, then they would be a good place to order prototypes for more complex products.
The company did well through the recession despite difficult times. They have a good website, and they outsource the efforts for SEO,which makes sense - if you are working in a workshop, would you really have time to run a blog? Most of the clients are from the regional population. And the word of mouth combined with great quality of their products, allowed them to get a large order from a Cathedral. Just have a loot at the altar below. What a great credential for a small company!
First of all, it was wonderful to see the process - from a computer image which is shown to the customers before the work starts, to the finished (or almost finished) product. By the way, they use Rhino software to generate 3D images, rather than VectorWorks which I thought was more popular among young designers.
The show room did not have many products, as they tend to produce furniture to order. But the items which were there looked exceptional - variety of woods (and various parts of the trees), complex shapes, and the quality and look which makes the items stand out and differentiate from cheaper producers.
It was interesting to note that they are often invited to advertise, but they feel that they need to be very selective, as there is no point in mass advertising - their products are so expensive that they believe that only 0.5% of population can afford them. I did admire the little side table for over £3000 and yes, I thought that I just cannot spend that much money even if I adore it.
So far their furniture manufacturing process has been very manual and they would create complex and elegant joinery (which justifies the cost). But they are also just about to invest in the computer-controlled machinery which will allow to work on complex shapes with less cost. In addition, they are looking to work with other materials and already established relationships with metal works supplier. I immediately thought that if they are able to combine different materials, then they would be a good place to order prototypes for more complex products.
The company did well through the recession despite difficult times. They have a good website, and they outsource the efforts for SEO,which makes sense - if you are working in a workshop, would you really have time to run a blog? Most of the clients are from the regional population. And the word of mouth combined with great quality of their products, allowed them to get a large order from a Cathedral. Just have a loot at the altar below. What a great credential for a small company!
Most importantly, we had a good chat about the furniture market, about famous UK furniture designers, high end furniture retailers - as usual I have a lot to learn. The main thing I took from this conversation is that if you do not have passion for furniture, then you should not be in this business.
NB Read about John Makepeace, Mark Fisher, Silver Lining.
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