Celebrating Local Design With Takk Studio

Takk Studio is all about beautiful, locally produced furniture. We chat to Director Marcus van der hoven about this growing local brand and what the future holds for Takk Studio.

What is the meaning behind your brand name, Takk Studio?

Takk is a play on the word Tak (branch in Afrikaans). The idea relates to us growing in an organic manner with our direction in design and making, branching out into different concepts as we develop our ideas.

Takk Studio has grown into a successful sustainable online store. Can you elaborate on this?

Our online presence has been very helpful in getting our pieces into spaces where these would conventionally not be found. Because our work usually finds a place in commercial spaces, we like the idea that anyone can get a hold of a Takk piece, even if this wouldn’t conventionally be available to everyone. Furthermore, we don’t run the online store like a conventional shop. Every piece still gets the full attention of our team from start to finish. This subsequently ensures that we get it just right. So in a way, it’s more of a side project that runs on passion for design.

How long have you been in the industry?

Takk started around four years ago in a tiny workshop. We have only really been running at our full pace for around 2 and a half years. However, we are growing our teams of artisans and designers every year.

With Covid, how has your business adapted to the new normal?

Our conventional office and hospitality project base was devastated by the lockdowns and is still yet to truly recover. However our model was always meant to shift to scaling up the manufacture of quality design and manufacture for a larger market. So we went ahead and made the shift from being a designer brand to more of a facilitator of design and brand. We are now manufacturing for a wide base of clients from online and physical retail as well as working on projects to promote the development of young product designers in SA.

Tell us about your latest and upcoming collections?

We have a new Takk range in the works which is intended for a more global market. The core focus of this range is to promote the concept of circularity. We make use of what would conventionally be determined as waste and turn this into products that truly impact your living space. I can’t go into all the details here. However, we are trying to redefine how we consume material in the furniture space.

Is every piece of furniture that you sell handmade locally?

Everything we do is handmade locally (some machines are obviously involved). We try to source as locally as possible and limit the use of imported hardware.

You strongly believe in quality over quantity and luxury without skipping out on any of the comforts. Tell us more about this?

I see the concept of quality over quantity as an excuse for people who are not in touch with their craft. We strive to get quality into everyone’s home. This is done without necessarily throwing the idea of luxury in as a bonus for a high price. To make things affordable we have to become better at manufacture. Bad quality shouldn’t be accepted even if something is inexpensive. With the changes in climate knocking on our door and global shipping in a mess, we can’t afford things to not last.

Do you have any new exciting pieces that you have recently launched or anything in the pipeline?

Keep an eye on our website – next month we are going to be releasing our updated range. Our focus has been on perfecting our pieces and making them more accessible to the market. The new range will arrive at the end of the year.

People are working and spending more time at home since lockdown. Any interior trends that you’ve noticed?

The interesting thing we have seen is that designers have tried very hard to create productive spaces in the home, which just kind of copy what was at the office. People have changed the way they work and seem to find spaces in their home where they are comfortable. Pieces that allow people to work in their bed or on their couch have become very popular. Smaller items that don’t break the bank but help you stay productive is the name of the game in my opinion.

What is a favourite piece in your collection that designers might not know about?

It’s hard to pick, but I love the Tuma Café Table.

Who or what inspires you most when coming up with designs?

Usually the most effective form of inspiration comes through conversation. It’s about solving a problem in a way that brings joy to your space. Sometimes, the problem can be as trivial as getting a table through a door. However, this could inspire design manufacture and technique. We try not to idolize other designers. However, we rather focus on what people want.

What is your favourite part about the manufacturing industry?

The pace of manufacture is addictive. The idea that within a matter of weeks you are able to create pieces that define space is what keeps us going. The team effort always makes your day.