Maker&Son is just four years old in Australia and New Zealand, but already it has met with notable success in these local markets. It is gaining a considerable reputation for its “supremely comfortable” sofas – and now beds – which it hand-makes in Australia. Each product is uniquely designed to accommodate and celebrate the nuances of the Australian climate, with specific materials sourced and utilised to endure our environmental conditions.
This involves wool wadding and natural latex, ethically sourced feathers, hardwood frames and interchangeable covers made from linen, corduroy or velvet fabrics (available in 20 colourways).
Cementing its name in the major design centres of Australia, the global brand opened a Sydney showroom, in the suburb of Alexandria, earlier this year, and has just officially launched its Melbourne showroom on Smith Street in Collingwood.
This means the company can team up its innovative mobile sales model with the ever-important physical customer experience. And the trip to the showroom is worth the visit.
For the Melbourne daytime opening design friends, clients, collaborators and media happily lounged upon extra-large seats and deliciously cushy sofas, toasting champagne and eating slices of cake – a combination that made it particularly hard to get back up and return to the working day.
Maker&Son’s general manager of Australasia, Liz Jamieson, addressed the intimate group of guests, expanding on the history of Maker&Son Australasia – which launched in 2018. She also paid homage to the makers with which she and the brand works.
“Manufacturing our product in the countries we sell in is key to our sustainability message at Maker&Son. The resonance of our transparency around the build and simplicity of the offering without any gimmicks speaks well to our Australian audience,” she says.
“Each of our Australasian manufacturers are family businesses which have run over many decades. We now have manufacturers in Melbourne, Sydney and Christchurch, with local materials sourced wherever possible. Our wool wadding is from a supplier in Woodend [regional Victoria] who uses her own wool along with wool from other Victorian farms. We also use local hardwood – Victorian Ash – for the frames, which gives the furniture a 30-year warranty.”
Guests at the event could also inspect the Maker&Son mobile showrooms – vans filled with furniture, nestled invitingly within. These support the digitally-led business model on which Maker&Son was founded – quite a smart approach given the times and the ‘phygital’ nature of retail.
As Maker&Son co-founder, Felix Conran, points out: “Our first sales actually came from Australia! …We saw early interest via the internet and social media that Australians were eager to know more about our product. We have found that the Australian demographic appreciates a thoughtful brand that aligns with their values, and ultimately this is at the core of what Maker&Son was founded on.”
They are definitely onto something, as the supremely comfortable confines of their furniture leaves you wanting more, more, more!
Maker&Son
makerandson.com.au
