Starter for 6: Method Furniture

Method is the partnership of Marisa Giannasi (a practising architect) and Callum Robinson (a second generation cabinetmaker). They thoughtfully design and meticulously hand craft detail-rich contemporary furniture in Scotland, using the finest sustainable hardwoods and natural materials available. Their debut collection featured custom collaborative special editions of pieces including Timorous Beasties' infamous Glasgow toile (featured in a Flux credenza) and the work of local graffiti artist Klingatron. 

"The idea for the company was hammered out whilst lost on a drizzly day in Glencoe in 2009. We had been searching for a way to work together and combine our skills for some time but it was the idea of creating handcrafted furniture that was exquisitely made, but also architecturally inspired and modern that really sparked our interests. 4 months later we launched our debut collection in Edinburgh and we haven’t looked back.

"We received Starter for 6 funding very recently – this September. We had just completed the programme and been successful with our final pitch for funding and the team were incredibly helpful in rushing it through. We had to be ready for the London Design Festival where we were showing our current collection and special editions.  

"All Starter for 6 participants have the chance to pitch to a panel of experts, as well as previous Starter for Sixers and Cultural Enterprise team members – a bit like Dragon's Den without the egos or the toe curling disdain. It’s a nerve-wracking experience, but you have to get used to it, because starting a business is full of these kinds of meetings, and they do teach you to take off your blinkers and to objectively hone your idea.

"We asked for financial support to progress the visual communication side of our business, offering the customer the opportunity to follow their own unique stories in real-time via regularly updated photography and fully interactive comment on our studio blog and on our Twitter feed, and to market it in an effective way. As a result we were able to produce and subsequently show a film documenting the creation of the Method X Denham Journeyman as part of our exhibit at 100% Design, to have a run of stunning brochures produced, and update our website and product photography.      

"It has completely changed the face of our business. Our website, our photography, branding, brochures, exposure in London...all made possible by the funding. We’re about to begin prototyping on the first official contemporary re-imagining of a Charles Rennie Mackintosh chair for the GSA – due in no small part to the innovative way we communicate our processes. 

"Where Starter for 6 really helped us was in inspiring confidence in ourselves. Starter for 6 offers support, experience and if you’re lucky funding, but being in a room full of creative people from all walks of life and being able to concentrate on your idea and see it through their eyes changes the way you approach your business, and that’s been invaluable. "