As this year draws to a close, we reflect on the highs and lows this strange time. All of us at Craft Furniture are determined to learn and grow from 2020 to only better our future as a business.
At the end of 2019, Craft Furniture and Spotlight Joinery opened an 300m² showroom, which ensured much excitement within The Excellence Group as well as the industry. With Spotlight Joinery effectively showcasing various phenomenal kitchens and wardrobes, we were able to incorporate various wooden furniture pieces into the space to provide some inspiration for our clients.
With a new strategic marketing plan in place that encompassed online support, Craft Furniture expected a dynamic start to 2020. Albeit it being a short burst due to COVID-19, the restrictions placed on us gave us an insight into other aspects of our business that required attention to detail. As the world suddenly changed in front of our eyes, we were forced out of our comfort zone in all aspects and therefore had to do what we do best – create.
We successfully created a range of stay-at-home desks since ‘working from home’ took on a whole new meaning. We designed and manufactured desks to suit our client’s individual style while bearing the practical perspective in mind in terms of space restrictions, costing, children and the like.
From a marketing point of view, we focused our attention on reworking and launching our new website as well as merging into the finer details of digital marketing with the various strategies it offers. This was an exciting task for Craft Furniture as it was somewhat ‘uncharted waters’ for us, but since then has proven to be a pillar of strength for our business over this time.
We spent time looking at environmental matters related to our business. We partnered with a remarkable international company and will be donating a tree for every wooden furniture piece bought from Craft Furniture. This has had an unbelievable response from employees, clients and suppliers alike which is always encouraging for ourselves but mostly, the planet.
We successfully shipped material together with Spotlight Joinery to a project in Seychelles as well as Nigeria with M-Interiors. Other international shipments seemed highly promising until COVID-19 hit, and we look forward to getting these projects up and running with the various restrictions lift.
Some local highlights included watching a crane lift an exclusive Craft dining room table into a new home in Bantry Bay. In collaboration with OKHA and originally designed for a Clifton Penthouse, we created a solid timber bench featuring sculpted ripples carved on either side of a smooth seat plateau. As well as a pair of hand-crafted tables with over-scaled cylindrical legs and marble tops – cut in an irregular shape revealing the original sedimentary layers.
We focused seriously on our process. Our quieter times gave us an opportunity to analyze procedures within our factory. Minimal wastage, working within a budget, meeting deadlines and products of exceptional quality being top priority. This has given us the chance to ‘clean up’ and be healthier at everything that we do within Craft Furniture.
2020 put us in a stronger position to tackle the years to come – Craft Furniture is motivated to continue on the path of betterment and growth with the same level of discipline that we have implemented over this time. Thank you to our clients, suppliers, staff and partners for getting us through this difficult year – it is all onwards and upwards from here.