I don’t know about you, but as soon as December rolls around there’s only one place you’re likely to find me.. curled up all nice and snug on the sofa!
Hibernation mode is very real in my house so when luxury sofa designers Maker & Son got in touch to showcase their big, squishy sofa designs to me I instantly fell. Hard. I’m definitely a sucker for anything that looks to be extremely tactile, soft and – technical term – marshmallow-y, and it’s safe to say Maker & Son have these three qualities checked off in abundance.
The Maker & Son philosophy is to design furniture that encourages the ultimate in relaxation whilst fitting in with the style and décor of any given interior setting. Not only are their sofas designed to provide you with a warm enveloping hug the moment you sit down, they are also handmade using 100% natural, ethically sourced materials, meaning they give the environment a virtual hug too. A huge win-win, in my opinion.
There’s no other way to consider the future than to make products that last at least one lifetime.
A collaboration between Felix Conran – grandson of Terence Conran – and his father Alex Willcock, Maker & Son have gone right back to basics to produce well-made beautiful pieces that are built to the same standards of quality as antique furniture, before plastic became so integrated into upholstery as a material.
Inspired by beautiful craft design and the original concepts of Scandinavian designers, they design with deeply rooted sustainable and ethical considerations, from the materials to the intended use of the product. their commitment to using 100% natural, ethically sourced materials means they promise to never use plastics, polyurethane foams, velcro or staples. all feather and down used in their cushions are sourced ethically as a by-product of the European meat industry.
As a young online business, with over three decades of familial experience designing furniture, Maker & Son are right at the forefront of innovative furniture businesses pushing the boundaries of traditional retail models. furniture is notoriously difficult to sell without physical stores for a customer to experience the product first hand, so Maker & Son have developed a fleet of mobile showrooms designed to take their sofas direct to their customers, without the extortionate overhead of a traditional brick-and-mortar store – clever, huh?
All of their vans are done up inside with a natural fibre carpet and beautiful shingles, meaning when you step inside, you step into an immersive maker & son experience. inside the “woodland cabin” you can sink into one of their squishy upholstered armchairs and feel the rest of the world fade away, leaving you with a feeling of ultimate relaxation. A company expert is on hand to guide you through each and every detail of your bespoke sofa design, from the array of colour choices, to the right fabric and even how it will sit within the room.
All of their designs are made using traditional craft techniques, with sustainably-grown beech trees used to make all of the frames and 100% linen woven in Italy for the soft covers. every base is handmade, with each spring individually placed by hand (70 coils in a sofa, 40 in an armchair), and taper down towards the back of the chair or sofa, so that when you sit in it you naturally sink back and down, and instantly relax. they then use a unique cushion construction containing two ‘duvets’ filled with a mixture of ethically sourced feathers and down, fully accredited by the international down and feather bureau. Between these ‘duvets’ sits a natural latex core designed to help the cushions keep their shape, which means they require less maintenance – in other words, less plumping over time!
The sofa covers are all loose too and easy to wash, with the linen pre-shrunk so you don’t have to worry when it comes to cleaning. If you opt for the velvet option, that’s removable too and easy to send off to the dry cleaner. you can even order additional covers for your sofa, meaning you can have a lighter coloured linen fabric for the summer months which you switch out for a cosier, plusher velvet in winter months, instantly transforming the look and feel of your room!
Handmade to order by their small team of expert craftspeople, standard orders lead times can be as little as four weeks depending on your fabric choice, but generally take around six weeks. A bespoke order usually takes between 8-10 weeks.
One of the other things that really impressed me about the brand is how creative they have been with their product visualisation on their website and social media feeds, showcasing each of their designs through a series of videos to capture just soft and squishy their upholstery is.
There are a whole host of videos showing models (usually friends and family since they shoot everything themselves) wriggling, reclining – even jumping! – on armchairs and sofas to give a realistic impression of how the piece moulds and shapes itself to the body and creates a comforting cocoon for hibernation. They also have a whole series of imagery showing their pieces outdoors in nature, to reinforce both the natural construction of their designs, as well as nurturing the relaxation angle of their philosophy.
So, what do you think of Maker & Son.. are you tempted by one of their armchairs or sofas for your own home?
This post is a paid partnership with Maker & Son. All photography © Maker & Son, used with permission.
6 Responses
All I want to do right now is hibernate! It is far too cold and dark for me, I just wish I had a comfy sofa to lounge on! You’ve inspired me to finally look into a new one! Sim x
Ah fab! Do let me know how you get on, there’s nothing more satisfying than having a nice new sqidgy sofa to curl up in of an evening :)
Definitely convinced by these armchairs, especially considering the weather we’ve been having lately! Thanks for sharing.
I know, right? All about the hibernation right now!
Hi
I stumbled upon your articles and I confess that I’m addicted now to reading them every now and then. Keep up the good work. Regards
Karen
http://www.easternada.com
#easternadawoodart
So lovely to hear that, thanks for your kind words Karen!