A workshop,
not a showroom.
We have been building furniture by hand in Ruaka for years now, one commission at a time, for people who wanted something made for their room rather than something that happened to fit it.
It began with furniture that did not last.
People were spending real money on sofas that looked impressive in a showroom and gave up within a year. Frames twisted. Cushions flattened. Pillows that felt generous at the point of sale collapsed into nothing by the fifth month.
The design was rarely the problem. It was everything underneath it, hidden from view and impossible for a buyer to judge. Timber that had never been properly seasoned. Low grade foam. Filling shortcuts that only reveal themselves once the piece is already in your living room and the receipt is long gone.
So we built the business around removing the guesswork. We manufacture in our own workshop rather than buying in finished stock, which means we choose the timber, the foam and the fill ourselves. And we invite you to come and inspect the bare frame before we upholster it. If you can see what your furniture is made of, you never have to take our word for anything.
Not a sofa. Eighteen years of sitting on it.
Every piece passes through somebody's hands.
There is no production line here. A commission is cut, framed, sprung, filled and upholstered by people who have been doing this for years, in a workshop where everyone can see everyone else's work. That matters more than any machine would. When a person's name is attached to a piece, the finishing tends to be better.
It also means we can stop and change something halfway through. If the fabric is not sitting right, or you decide the arms should be lower, we adjust. A factory cannot do that.
See how a piece is made
We will tell you exactly what is inside.
Most furniture businesses would rather you did not ask. We would rather you did, because these are the decisions that separate a sofa you keep from one you replace.
- Frames
- Seasoned blue gum hardwood. Unseasoned timber looks identical on delivery and twists within months.
- Seat cushions
- High density and high resilience foam, so the seat holds its shape rather than flattening.
- Back cushions
- Pure fibre fill. Never foam chip, which feels full in the shop and collapses by month five.
- Tables and stands
- Mahogany, hand finished, chosen where the wood is meant to be seen.
- Fabric
- Linen, velvet, chenille, corduroy, suede and leather, matched to how you actually live.
Four things we do not compromise on
Honesty about materials
We name the timber, the foam grade and the fill, and we let you inspect the frame before it is covered. Nothing about a Mallard piece is hidden from the person paying for it.
Craft before speed
We would rather take longer and build something properly than push out work that comes back to us as a complaint. A rushed frame is a frame that fails.
Your taste, not ours
You choose the design, the size, the fabric, the colour and the finish. Our job is to bring your vision to life accurately, not to talk you into ours. Customisation is never charged as an extra.
Keeping our word
The price we agreed, the specification we agreed, the date we agreed. Our clients say it more often than anything else, and we would like to keep it that way.
A small team, and you will meet most of it
Naomi
Runs the business and looks after the client relationship from first enquiry to delivery. Described by customers, repeatedly and without prompting, as someone who keeps her word.
Jeff
Oversees design and production, and works directly with clients to turn a sketch or a saved photograph into a finished piece. If you bring an idea in, Jeff is usually the one who tells you whether it will work.
Cindy
Guides customers through fabrics, materials and the things worth checking before buying any furniture, from anyone. Her job is to make sure you buy with confidence.
Behind them is a workshop team of carpenters and upholsterers who build every piece by hand. They are the reason people come back for a second and a third.
The skeleton was of high quality, and they let me see it before continuing.
Rooms we have helped finish
The workshop is open.
You are welcome to walk in, look at the frames being built, handle the fabrics and ask whatever you like. No appointment, no pressure.
Message us on WhatsApp