Small business: Kayu Studio founder James Mitchell on his journey into furniture and homewares

Kayu Studio founder James Mitchell.

Kayu Studio founder James Mitchell talks to the Herald about his journey from renovating and decorating holiday rentals in Bali to opening his own furniture and homewares business with designs inspired by his travels.

What is Kayu Studio?

Kayu Studio is a curated interiors destination where you’ll find considered furniture and homewares. Our style is contemporary, modern and inspired by coastal living. We have our own specially crafted namesake furniture collection that combines form with function and this sits alongside a carefully curated collection of designer interior goods. We have an online store and a large showroom on Totara St in Mt Maunganui.

What motivated you to start the business?

I’ve always been hands-on and interested in developing elevated spaces. I started my journey to Kayu by renovating and decorating holiday rentals in Bali. This experience led to discovering the depth of craftsmanship in the Indonesian furniture and homewares industries and this combined with a desire to create a business that had a purpose in Indonesia (where I have been based since 2014) and in New Zealand closer to family.

What is your background and did you have any prior experience in interior design?

My background is a mix of adventure tourism and property management that at its core is based around creating spaces for people to enjoy. I never thought of it as interior design or being creative, but I guess it was the start of what turned into Kayu Studio.

I would say my interior design strengths are material-focused. I love finding raw materials to develop into beautiful furniture and homeware pieces that will elevate our customers’ spaces. This means spending a lot of time in the workshops with the craftsmen.

Indonesia is famous for its teak furniture. One particular material I like to work with is reclaimed teak salvaged from old buildings. This wood is full of character and sometimes hundreds of years old making it extremely dry and high quality. We are also starting to incorporate other Indonesian hardwoods and also American oak in our furniture ranges. Other materials I’m experimenting with include Indonesian lava stones, marble, onyx, brass and natural fibres for woven goods.

What products do you sell?

We sell a wide range of interior items from larger items like dining tables to bedroom furniture, and smaller decor like vases and pots. All products are sourced with consideration for their materials, fair trade practices, backstory and function rather than solely aesthetics. We’re conscious of having a full awareness of the product’s journey and environmental impact.

Where do you source products and/or materials from and why?

Mostly Indonesia as this is where I am based and have developed a network of good suppliers. We also source goods from Vietnam, China, India and Australia.

How big is your team?

We have a team of seven, plus myself between NZ and Indonesia.

What have you learned about the industry since starting the business?

It’s been a massive learning experience diving into a new industry. The main lesson so far is to be different and not distracted by fleeting trends. I get inspiration from everywhere, especially travel.

How have you funded the business to date?

To get started the business was funded through private lending. New growth is now funded by sales revenue.

How much has the business grown since you started and what are your growth plans?

It has all happened pretty quickly, and we are really seeing the potential of the business since moving into our new showroom in Mt Maunganui in December last year.

The past few years have gone by fast, and it still feels like we are just getting started. Growth plans include developing a wholesale offering of our Kayu Exclusive ranges to retailers who align with Kayu Studio. We will also expand our retail presence in Auckland and the South Island.

What can you tell us about Kayu Casa?

Kayu Casa is a boutique Airbnb accommodation adjacent to our showroom that’s been furnished throughout with Kayu Studio goods. It’s a great place to stay when you’re visiting the Mount, but also offers an immersive experience - where you can become familiar with the brand and our unique style.

What have been your biggest challenges in business?

One of our biggest challenges is balancing stock levels. Because we source most of our items directly from the manufacturers, the lead times vary and can be quite long. This requires efficient forecasting and stock planning.

Kayu has been running for about two and a half years and I feel like we still have so much to learn within the industry. I’m really happy with what we have achieved so far and excited about where the brand is heading. When diving into a new industry you bring along a skill set from your past that you try to adapt, but it’s the specifics you need to learn.

For me this was regarding furniture design processes and practices - I find the skills you can bring across are mostly people skills, know how to identify the right people to work with or how to react in certain situations. The first few years can be a grind, but also the most important to set the structure for the business to grow from.

What have been your highlights in business so far?

For me it’s been the personal and professional growth through expanding my understanding of the furniture industry. This has mainly come through visiting as many trade shows as I could in the first few years; these included Paris, Indonesia, Vietnam and Australia, and also visiting amazing showrooms from leading designers all over the world.

One place in particular where I have got a lot of inspiration is Copenhagen, Denmark, over the past few years while visiting my partner Jessie’s family.

The Danes really are world leaders in Scandinavian style and design and I get inspired and excited to incorporate these styles and ideas into Kayu designs to bring back to New Zealand.

What’s your advice for other budding entrepreneurs?

Listen to your gut, if it feels right it usually is and work with people you like and who share your values, this makes the day-to-day way more fun.