LUXURY LUXURY BRANDS BRANDS Ollie Steek
OXUN
Matt Broughton spoke with OXUN co-founder, Ollie Steek, about just what makes a luxury brand “luxury” and what kinds of partners are pushing the brand forward in the sector.
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feel like ‘luxury’ is the most overused word in our industry!” says OXUN Co-founder, Ollie Steek, so I ask him what he thinks makes a product truly ‘luxury’? “We are proud to say that our product is not only made but designed in Britain. We believe that whilst ‘Made in Britain’ is synonymous with quality, ‘Designed in Britain’ should carry equal importance. Our goal is to create inspiring, innovative furniture that is recognised worldwide. “Our furniture is skilfully handcrafted and carefully hand finished. Hours and hours of labour go into each and every piece, and nothing leaves the factory without a proper QC. OXUN do not cut corners to save a couple of pounds or hours. It’s all about creating that perfect piece of furniture that sets us apart from the rest.” I ask Ollie what key behaviours he’s seen in the sector that lets him know the need for luxury brands is still going strong: “We’re seeing a shift in consumer behaviour; people are moving away from throwaway culture and standardised offerings. More than ever, they want something that feels bespoke, authentic, and enduring. Clients are asking where things are made, how they’re made, and by whom. They want craftsmanship, not just aesthetics. The appetite for products with real substance – in both design and build – is definitely growing, and we’re here to meet that.” Ollie tells me that OXUN gravitates towards partners who understand and respect a craft: “We
I
want high quality retail environments that display our furniture in the right way. This is clearly going to be a very considered purchase; we are not here to compete with off the shelf solutions and our furniture must be experienced properly in order for both OXUN and our partners to get the best out of it. We value long-term relationships over quick wins, and we look for people who are as committed to quality and detail as we are. That alignment across values is crucial for us.” Ollie tells me the response from showrooms has been incredible: “The showrooms that we’ve approached love the product. As a result, many have taken up the offer and ordered displays. To be clear, we are not looking to open thousands of showrooms, we are looking for the correct partners. There’s been a lot of buzz around our made-to-order service too, which gives designers and clients the ability to personalise furniture to suit individual spaces and styles. It’s that combination of design freedom and filling the void between consumers and a traditional joinery.” I ask how OXUN is filling the requirement for a specialist bathroom joinery company for showrooms…
“Coming from a retail background, I saw first-hand how hard it was to find reliable, specialist bathroom joinery support,” says Ollie. “We often relied on local joiners who were fantastic at what they did – but most were geared toward full-house packages, not one-off vanity units. That
often meant delays, lack of communication, and ultimately, frustration on both sides. Traditional joiners are usually small owner-operator setups, focused on working with their hands and perfecting their craft – not necessarily running the operations of a scalable business.
“At OXUN, Steve and I bring a different set of strengths to the table. Neither of us comes from a pure joinery background, but we cover essential areas like manufacturing design processes, operations, sales, and marketing. By combining that commercial experience with a deep understanding of what retailers and showrooms actually need, we’ve built a business model that specifically supports made-to-order, bathroom-exclusive joinery – done right, done reliably, and done beautifully.” OXUN is very deliberate with its material choices; they’re functional, beautiful, and built to last. “We work with sustainably sourced hardwoods, high-performance veneers, and ultra-durable finishes designed to stand up to the bathroom environment. We also have a keen eye on sustainable and recyclable materials. For example, our Curlew range, uses a material called Richlite - a durable, sustainable composite material created by layering sheets of paper, saturating them with a thermosetting resin, and then pressing and curing them under heat and pressure. From the initial creation of our brand, it was important for us to integrate sustainability into our business, and this is reflected in the range of materials that we use from FSC certified timber to Richlite and even Bamboo. We’re not interested in fast materials – we want things that endure.”
32 BKU AUGUST 2025
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