Interview: Makers' Justin Brown and Lizzie Spinks on investing for the future

Justin Brown, founder and director of London-based Makers, and sales designer Lizzie Spinks, talk to Nicola Hanley about the bespoke kitchen manufacturer’s plans to open 5 more showrooms

Justin Brown has been designing furniture for over 20 years, but it wasn’t until 2018 that he realised his dream of founding Makers, which specialises in bespoke, luxury kitchens. His grandfather was a cabinet maker – Brown still has his tools – and his father worked in the field before moving into engineering and Brown studied Furniture Design and Production at London College of Furniture. “It was always something I planned to do,” he says. “But I disappeared down another route for a while until l finally got the opportunity to set up Makers.”

Makers was initially established as part of Brown Property Services, which was founded in 2001 and specialises in the refurbishment and extension of residential and commercial properties in and around London. A move to bigger premises in 2020 spurred Makers on and it opened its showroom in Southwest London in April 2022. The following year the company moved to a premises five times bigger. “The business just took off from there,” says Brown.

Everything that Makers creates is completely bespoke. “We have some real cutting-edge technology in the factory, with CNC machinery which is fabulous, but our philosophy is a bespoke, handmade approach so no 2 kitchens are the same,” Brown adds.

The driving force behind Makers’ sales and design team is sales designer Lizzie Spinks, who is one of the company’s 12 employees. “We don’t have any set ranges at the moment, although that’s something we might do in the future,” she says.  “So when a client comes in, they tell us what they like and we talk about their requirements and everything is made for them and their space so it’s totally unique.”

Although kitchens make up the core of the business, Makers designs and creates furniture for any room in the home from boot rooms, pantries and living rooms to dressing rooms, bedrooms and bathrooms, and regularly takes on whole house renovations.

“In terms of turnover, 60-70% of the business is kitchens,” says Brown, who estimates that when it comes to enquiries, that figure is closer to 80-90%. “So kitchens are the main driver of the business but I like the idea that we can do whatever people want.

“Understated quality is what we do. We’re not extreme or flashy, it’s quality furniture with lots of timber and nice detailing.”

The showroom currently houses 6 displays and features quite bold colours, which Spinks says attracts consumers who are more open to experimenting with colour. “People aren’t as afraid of showing their true colour styles at the moment, which is really great. And I think metals are still very, very in. People are a bit more experimental with those as well. We’re seeing more mixing of metals such as brass and steel and bronze.”

Like a lot of companies, Makers had a quiet start to 2024, but business quickly picked up. “It took off in the summer last year and it hasn’t stopped since then,” says Brown. “We spent a lot on marketing and social media. Marketing spend is really important. You can’t scrimp on that one. We got a new brochure and we kept investing. The only thing I ever learnt in A-level economics is that companies that cut their marketing budget tend to fail and I think it’s very, very true.”

So what’s next for Makers? Brown says in the long term, he may consider supplying furniture to other independent retailers. “We do some freestanding furniture and it is something we’d look at in the future as we have the facilities to manufacture anything people imagine so it would be interesting to pursue that.”

In the short term, however, he is actively looking to open another showroom. “Pimlico Road or Notting Hill are our two target areas. If we could find the right premises, I’d make it happen,” says Brown. “But ultimately the end goal is to have 5 or 6 showrooms throughout the UK.”