We meet Bristol’s bespoke furniture designers and creators, Konk to discover the secrets behind their award-winning styles. 

• Tell us a little bit about how Konk started?

Like any good business, Konk was born in my parents' garage. Only having access to a few basic power tools meant that the initial designs were very simple and utilitarian yet they seemed to resonate well online and the interest soon started to convert into sales. The small side-hustle avalanched into a full-time business and within a year I had moved workshops three times, taking on employees along the way. It's now six years later and those start-up days feel like a bit of a blur, to be honest.

• Where did the name come from?

It's meant to be a kind of onomatopoeia of a mallet sound (Konk... Konk... Konk...). I also like the way the angularness of the 'k's look visually and it's quite satisfying to say. 

• What makes Konk furniture so special?

This is quite hard to answer as there are so many great furniture makers in the UK right now. What I do think we do particularly well is our commitment to quality and simplicity. We're, hopefully, bringing craft and bespoke furniture making into a reasonably affordable price point. 

• How important is it for you to be working from Bristol?

Incredibly important and hopefully we'll never have to move. Not necessarily because our workshop needs to physically be in Bristol, but because of the amazing team we've built here.

• Design clearly plays a key role in your work, who, what or where do you find inspiration? 

It's hard to ever link one direct influence. I think good design comes from consuming as many different sources of design and culture as you can. Art galleries, books, music, Instagram, films, television etc are all filled in some way with inspiration, whether consciously noticed at the time or not.  

• A piece of furniture can transform a whole room, how do you collaborate with clients to get the best out of the process?

This certainly depends on the client, ultimately we're designing pieces for them to enjoy and not us. Sometimes a client might have a very clear vision and we are simply there to work out the joints and details. On other occasions, the client might put their trust in us to come up with something. In this case, we would narrow down the near-infinite possibilities of design by investigating their inspirations and creating a dialogue with the aim of creating a brief or framework for us to start from. 

• How much of a role does sustainability play in the sourcing of your materials?

We only source our timber and sheet materials from FSC or sustainable forests. This, along with planting a tree for every order we receive, helps to offset any carbon emissions we are making. 

• Do you see patterns/trends in the designs people request from you?

Yes absolutely. We started off as an 'industrial style' furniture company, but have gradually swung away from this into a more refined mid-century aesthetic, with the latter becoming our predominant sellers.  

• Are there any trends that you can see on the horizon?

I think there will be (or already is) a trend toward considered minimalism. That is, the idea of having only a few objects to fill a room, but ensuring those objects are beautiful and well made in themselves. I hope this is a new trend anyway, it's great for both makers and the environment.   

• Have you ever collaborated with other designers on a piece?

Our website consists of pieces solely designed in-house, however, we do often work with interior designers and architects to produce bespoke items.   

• If you could make one piece of furniture for the rest of your life what would it be?

For me, the joy of furniture making is in newness, experimentation and surprises, so having to make a single piece over and over until I die sounds like some sort of Sisyphean nightmare, but I do love making the Namjou Easel. It has lots of fiddly components and requires a wide set of skills and tools to make - when it all assembles together at the end and works it's a really satisfying feeling.