24 ek&bbusiness february 2018 | www.kbbdaily.com

Chevron-patterned veneering on a breakfast cupboard, brass recesses on a set of painted ash drawers, and polished

chrome stringing on an island – these are just some of the clues to the emphasis on bespoke furniture making at McCarron & Co’s Notting Hill showroom. “We offer our clients the opportunity to have something just that little bit different,” says MD Andy McCarron. “We will listen to any design or material request – and we will make it work.”

His sister, sales and marketing director, Julie McCarron adds: “That’s what makes us stand out. Instead of trying to shoehorn standard ranges into our clients’ spaces, we make furniture to suit and turn their visions into reality.” Given the emphasis on beautiful furniture, it may not surprise you to learn that McCarron & Co traces its roots to Mark Wilkinson Furniture, when, in 2009, a group of eight employees took voluntary redundancy and used their packages to set up their own luxury furniture brand. Andy McCarron says

that there is now nobody else offering what his company does, on the same scale. “We have our own manufacturing, a retail presence with three showrooms, and the ability, skills and desire to make completely bespoke items,” he explains.

Surely other companies rely on standard ranges to create economies of scale for profitability – how does McCarron & Co buck the trend? “The key to making money on any of the designs we create is to price them correctly, and because we have experience in the production and on-

TAILOR MADELuxury furniture brand McCarron & Co is emphasising the truly bespoke to grow sales – and to make itself stand out, says MD Andy McCarronWords Amelia Thorpe Photos Paul Craig

25www.kbbdaily.com | ek&bbusiness february 2018

PROFILE

site fitting elements, we can do that,” he says. “For example, the wine room that you see in this showroom will take longer to manufacture than a kitchen of the same size, but it is priced accordingly.” At the luxury end of the market, people are willing to pay for unique pieces of furniture that they won’t see anywhere else, he says, although he does concede that some of the core kitchen designs are popular and make up much of the manufacturing.

The company sells furniture mostly for

kitchens, but now also for a growing number of wine rooms, media centres, bedrooms, dressing rooms and studies, and is currently working on furniture for a super yacht, including the kitchen, bar and state rooms. The firm even has its own in-house upholsterer, completing bedheads and bedroom panelling to window seats. “Service is paramount – it’s important to be able to pull everything together for the client,” says Andy.

Next the company plans its first national advertising campaign in selected homes and

interiors magazines, to run through 2018, as well as PR, in an effort to make the brand better known. “And we also want to develop more relationships with architects and interior designers,” he says.

With sales currently at £5.4m, he is targeting £6m in 2018. “From my experience, I believe that about £8m is the maximum a company like ours can go to,” he says. “Beyond that, you start diluting the quality and ability of the designers, the people in the factory and the fitters.” ■

MD Andy McCarron and sales and marketing director Julie McCarron in the Notting Hill showroom

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PROFILE

» What is your greatest challenge? “To get the message out there – we’ve never shouted about what we do before, but now we’ve found our voice,” says Andy McCarron

» And your greatest opportunity? “Notting Hill is an affluent area with lots of houses with large square footage, and the area is continuing to develop with projects such as the regeneration of Whiteleys [retail, residential and leisure development] so we should do more business from here,” he explains

» Strange but true “One guy came in here and asked me for the menu,” he says

Andy McCarron on the luxury market » “In all elements of luxury purchase, from watches and cars to superyachts and homes, there is greater focus and investment across the board in customer service, both before and after purchase, and that is true of what we are doing. It is about working with all our clients’ representatives to ensure communication and accountability”

Bespoke breakfast unit with walnut chevron veneered doors, built-in Miele coffee machine, and Perrin & Rowe Phoenix 3-in-1 instant hot mixer tap

Brown Silk marble makes a striking worktop and splashback in this display showing Wolf range cooker and custom extraction unit

Solid oak wine racks and storage unit clad in riven slate, with antiqued bronze handles, and back-lit panel

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PROFILE

“WE OFFER OUR CLIENTS THE OPPORTUNITY TO HAVE SOMETHING JUST THAT LITTLE BIT DIFFERENT. WE WILL LISTEN TO ANY DESIGN OR MATERIAL REQUEST – AND WE WILL MAKE IT WORK”Andy McCarron, MD, McCarron & Co

McCarron & Co

Who are we? MD Andy McCarron, and sales and marketing director, Julie McCarron

Where are we? 102 Westbourne Grove, Notting Hill, London, W2 5RU. Tel: 0207 243 2315. Also in Chelsea and Bromham, Wiltshire. www.mccarronandco.com

What we do Bespoke luxury furniture maker

Business history Today, the business is owned by nine directors including MD Andy McCarron. It was founded in October 2009, opened its first showroom in Bromham, Wiltshire in 2010, and second on London’s Fulham Road in 2013. The Notting Hill showroom opened in 2016. Kitchens are all bespoke-made in the company’s 36,000sq ft workshop in Wiltshire, previously the Mark Wilkinson Furniture making facility. Kitchen prices start from £35,000; average £60,000 to £70,000; most expensive to date, just over £210,000. Whole house projects “run into many hundreds of thousands”. Around 75% of sales are of kitchens, 25% other rooms, predominantly wine rooms, dressing rooms, bars, bedrooms and studies. The company offers a full design, manufacture and installation service. Appliances by Sub-Zero & Wolf, Miele, and Gaggenau. Sinks and taps by Kohler, Quooker, and Perrin & Rowe

Sales stats “Turnover is £5.4m for 2017, and we are aiming for £6m in 2018,” says Andy McCarron

Staffing levels 56 employees

COMPANY PROFILE

Bespoke painted cabinetry with brushed nickel handles

In the lower level of the showroom, a bespoke painted island with polished chrome stringing and feet

The entrance to the Notting Hill showroom, which opened in April 2016 at an investment cost of £320,000, with display of custom-made eau de nil painted cabinetry, right

In the lower level of the showroom, a bespoke painted island with polished chrome stringing and feet, topped in Brown Silk marble

MD Andy McCarron and sales and marketing director Julie McCarron outside the Notting Hill showroom

Brass finger channel detailing accentuates the linear design of this display, made from grey stained oak and grey painted ash, with

worktops in Corian Silver Gray, and Gaggenau appliances