DESIGNER PROFILE
Emma and Mike Vincent combined their skills to start their own furniture business in Devon
How did Vincent Trading come about?
Mike has always been a joiner and after relocating to Devon to be near the sea, he decided he wanted to go it alone. I have a degree in business management and had been wanting to start my own creative business too, so it just made sense to do it together. My love of modern rustic determines our standard range, but we also design custom pieces.
What’s the ethos behind your business?
We live for the beauty in imperfection, championing a move away from mass-produced items, which all look identical, in favour of those with character and history. Trees are a great planet-friendly source of building materials as long as they’re grown and felled responsibly. We mainly use reclaimed scaffolding boards sourced from Cornwall as they’re often only used for short periods of time – a shame considering the energy that has gone into making them! The timber is still perfectly strong, great for producing furniture that will last generations.
Where do you find inspiration?
The wood itself holds endless stories. Sometimes a particular reclaimed piece will arrive and I can tell straight away it deserves to be turned into something special. Instagram is full of inspiration, too. I love its community feel; it’s a great way of meeting other designers and sharing creative ideas.
Where do you sell your products?
We mainly sell our pieces via our website, but we are also part of a small collective based in our local area called Devon Pop Up Creatives. Together, we arrange small events for a unique shopping experience.
What do you love most about living and working by the coast?
Although work keeps us really busy, being so close to the sea means we can easily take five minutes out of our day to watch the tide come in and see the sun set, or take our dog, Lola, for a run along the beach.
Do you use social media for your business?
our work is very visual, so we spend most of our time on Instagram. It’s a great place to build relationships with other designers and share creative ideas. We’re growing quickly and find that a lot of our website traffic and sales seem to come from Instagram.
What words of wisdom do you have for anyone thinking of starting a business?
The most important thing is to just get going, even it’s only one hour a week. Don’t compare yourself to others, just do what’s right for you.
Sum up your style in three words.
Timeless, modern and rustic.