CRAFTSMAN Stuart Scott is capitalising on growing exports of his unique furniture by turning to creative agency Milk & Tweed.
The agency has redesigned the business’s website to give it a more international appeal. “We want to create a global window into our brand,” said Mr Scott, “so we have upgraded to create an Internationalised platform as over half of our products are exported.
“We export to North America, the Middle East and Australasia and we’re also beginning to work with India.”
He said the business needed a new website to better showcase its work, particularly for international customers. “In the age that we live in it is quite often not possible for our clients to visit us, so the website needs to present an all-encompassing experience where you feel you’re actually here seeing the pieces being made,” he added.
Since 2011 Stuart Scott Furniture has produced bespoke hand-built chairs, tables, sofas, cabinets and other furniture from its workshop in Hilperton in Trowbridge. “We always set out to create a contemporary collection of furniture where detail and authenticity are key,” said Mr Scott, who describes himself as a self-confessed perfectionist.
His pieces can take up to 12 weeks to create and begin life as ideas and sketches. They are hand-crafted using woods such as beech and walnut and upholstered with materials including wool, cashmere, leather and velvet.
“We are a design led studio with a focus on each piece being handmade to order, signed and individually numbered, and where an understanding of the making process is extremely important,” he said.
The designer, who worked in Saudi Arabia, France and London before setting up in his home county, uses traditional ways of working as often as possible. “I am always looking at techniques and methods from back in the day and looking to revitalise or reinvent for the present day some of these practices in order to create something that is both authentic and unique,” he said.
“We have amazing technology which we embrace today but equally there are exquisite techniques from the past such as those that utilise naturally occurring chemical reactions in wood to create natural colourings and stains. These are fascinating and create the uniqueness.”
He employs six staff at the Hilperton site and has also taken over premises in nearby Steeple Ashton to be used as creative studio and showroom.
“I started out enlisting the help of my brother David, who is a very talented carpenter,” he said. “From there the team has grown organically. We have the most experienced team for our upholstery and sewing, and we present opportunities for apprentices and recent graduates in design too.
“We also champion local artisanal trades like saddlery and wood turning, there are so many different facets in creating furniture and supporting these specialist local trades to make this happen is vitally important.”
He said he chose to work with Milk & Tweed because of the Chippenham agency’s reputation. “The brand was known locally to us and we loved the initial proposal that was presented to us,” he said.
“The guys at Milk & Tweed were very responsive and patient during the process and the end result is fantastic. We’ve had a great response to the website, and it showcases our work beautifully.”
Milk & Tweed Creative Director Jake Jeffries said it has been rewarding to work with such a highly specialised brand. “We were all so excited when Stuart reached out to us about pitching for the job, and I was walking around his workshop in complete awe, asking him about a million questions. You just wanted to stroke and feel every piece of furniture and seeing the craftsmanship that goes into every piece was really inspiring.”
“We are privileged to have such a wonderful premium brand on our doorstep, and it is one that we should all be very proud of and celebrate.”
See the new website by searching for Stuart Scott Furniture and find out more about Milk & Tweed’s services by searching for Milk & Tweed.
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