Furniture with flair: Stephen Mark Furniture
Endless advantages come with living in our Antipodean paradise, tucked away on the 42nd parallel, but proximity to all the finest internationally-influenced craftsmanship isn’t always one of them. Fortunately, the finest of furniture craftsmanship has come to us.
Working for 40 years in upholstery, Stephen Mark, co-owner of Stephen Mark Furniture, with wife Zoë, was apprenticed in England. “My older style apprenticeship was “on the bench” under the
critical eyes of more experienced upholsterers,” says Stephen.
Stephen owned three businesses in England, “One specialised in the manufacture of new furniture, another in offering a traditional reupholstery service, and one in reproducing several designs of Knole Sofas.” He worked with London based interior designers including Maurizio Pellizzoni, Liberty of London, the Sloane Club, the Antique Trade and Portman Designs who supplied Harrods and The Savoy Hotel. He also worked with the National Trust and English Heritage on some very important historical pieces.
Now based in North Canterbury, the couple creates statement furniture that is classically designed using New Zealand beech for the frames, and finished with tailored upholstery. “We share a love of design, fabrics, and colour, and we are excited to add Troynorth Trimmings and Warwick Fabrics to our product mix,” says Zoë.
