Founded in 2004, unique furniture retailer Eat Sleep Live offers handmade British reclaimed wood products from its showroom in Nottingham’s Creative Quarter. Victoria Noakes spoke to founder and designer Mark Godsell-Fletcher to find out more ...
After being unable to find high quality wooden furniture and becoming tired of mass-produced flat-pack furniture, Mark Godsell-Fletcher set up Eat Sleep Live in 2004 and made his first dining table out of reclaimed wood, soon realising there was a great demand for this type of product.
“I started selling this single table design that I personally delivered to customers throughout the UK. I’ve always believed if you have a passion to create something unique, make sure you do your planning and research, then work tirelessly until you make it happen,” says Mark.
With its workshop and showroom ideally positioned in the Midlands, making it easy to deliver to the whole of the UK, each of Eat Sleep Live’s rustic furniture pieces has a story behind it. The company views its products as investments rather than temporary or short-term solutions.
“All of our products are made in Britain from 100% reclaimed wood, providing British people with jobs, reducing our carbon footprint and impacting the environment less. Also, we design, craft and deliver our own furniture,” he explains.
Some of the company’s bestselling products include its beds, dining tables and the new Prestige collection of tables and benches, which is crafted with a mixture of wood and brushed stainless steel, providing a striking juxtaposition. Modern and sleek in design, the top of the furniture pieces appears to float above the impessively-crafted frames. The collection is ideal for transforming any dining or living space.
Eat Sleep Live prides itself on the quality of its products, with this being the company’s number one value permeating everything it does. Using skilled craftsmen with exacting standards, no detail is skimped on.
“Our mature aged wood has natural character that you just can’t buy with new wood. The high level of quality we deliver with our products can only come from reclaimed wood. Creating our furniture products wholly with this wood makes us unique and unconventional – you can’t find any other furniture around crafted like it,” states Mark.
Eat Sleep Live’s strong customer focus defines the company and sets it apart from its competition. The company believes that the customer is an important part of the production process, and likes to work with them to deliver personalised solutions and exceed their expectations.
“We care about our customers and give them a brilliant service with insightful communication to make sure they get what they want. We have a broad range of customers – from people who are renovating their current home to people who have recently bought a new home and are looking to fill their space with furniture that will last a lifetime. We cater to customers seeking better quality who are fed up with furniture that doesn’t stand the test of time,” says Mark.
Looking ahead, Eat Sleep Live’s aim is to become the leading UK company in quality handmade wooden furniture and to steer consumers away from the “here today, gone tomorrow” approach to purchasing furniture.
Mark concludes: “We’re going to continue to enhance our furniture designs and be open to new materials, finishing techniques and designs to keep our products fresh. We want to carry on making our customers happy through our products, and sharing their passion for authentic, quality pieces of furniture.”
This article was published in the December issue of Furniture News magazine.
