With growing consumer appetite for sustainable furniture, newcomer Close Company (CloseCo) is challenging fast furniture culture by prioritising homewares with longevity. “It’s about designing things that are clear in their purpose and built to last,” explains MD Kit Cook. But what makes CloseCo different from other online brands with a similar promise?
Can you summarise CloseCo in one sentence?
Thoughtfully designed home essentials for everyday living.
How did the business come about?
CloseCo came out of a gap we kept coming back to – there was plenty of furniture that was either design-led but cold, or comfortable but uninspiring. We wanted to build something that sat at the place in between, so all of our pieces are designed to feel emotionally warm, visually distinctive and, importantly, built to last.
For us, it wasn’t just about making sofas and chairs, it was about creating a brand with a point of view that people could relate to. As a result we landed on ‘cosy utility’ as our anchor, which summarises our offering as practical, hardworking furniture that still carries personality and a sense of home.
What else does your product offer?
At its core, we design upholstered furniture made to live with people properly – day in, day out. That means robust construction, materials chosen to age gracefully rather than degrade, and a visual language that can move easily across different interiors without feeling fixed or overly styled.
From the outset, the aim has been to go beyond standalone pieces. We’re building a broader homeware ecosystem (textiles, ceramics, scent) so customers can shape a complete environment around a consistent feeling, not just a single product.
Now, in 2026, we’re live with our initial collection, but already working quietly on the next phase, which is expanding into case goods. The ambition is to offer furniture for every room in the home, while maintaining the same balance of utility and character that defines our upholstery.
How well do homewares and fabrics complement your upholstery offer?
Very naturally. Upholstery is the foundation, but it’s only one layer of how a space feels. Homewares and fabrics allow us to build depth – think colour, tactility, scent, mood. They let customers engage with the brand at different levels, and they make the whole offer feel more complete and considered.
It’s less about ‘adding products’ and more about building a cohesive world. We want to eventually reach a point where we are able to satisfy all the senses through our product offering.
How is CloseCo different from other furniture businesses with sustainability at their core?
A lot of brands approach sustainability as a message, but we approach it as a byproduct of how we build. So, we don’t lead with claims, but instead we focus on making things properly – long-lasting frames, repairable construction, and materials chosen for longevity, not just optics.
Sustainability, for us, is about reducing replacement cycles. If something lasts twice as long, that’s where the real impact sits. We never create items that lean into the throwaway trend culture.
How does your focus on durability exceed that of your competitors’?
We design with time in mind, not just first impressions. That shows up in many ways, like over-engineered internal structures, fabric selections tested for real wear, not just showroom appeal, and construction methods that prioritise repair over replacement. We’re less interested in how something looks on day one, and more in how it holds up after five years of real use.
Does that mean any compromise on comfort?
Not at all – if anything, it improves it. True comfort isn’t just softness on day one, it’s consistency over time. While a lot of furniture feels great initially, it degrades quickly. We design comfort that holds its shape and support, meaning that the experience CloseCo furniture offers doesn’t drop off, but it stabilises.
Read the rest of our interview with Kit in June's issue.
