Prune Lewinsohn grew up travelling around France with her antique-dealer parents. After she met Mark in Sydney, the pair continued their travels, sourcing antiques and inspiration everywhere they went. Our Loft Furniture feature today is testament to the quality and range of their vision.



Can you tell us about your time spent living overseas?
We met in Sydney, but we've lived in Dubai, Lyon, Paris and Brussels. We opened a chain of stores featuring French and Indian antiques and our collection of textiles and homewares, so we'd live in each city for a year or two to get the store going there and train up a manager before moving to the next city. We had 6 stores at one stage - it was fun!

Do you still travel?
Our furniture is created in Rajasthan, India.  Because we've been working with the same craftsmen for close to 8 years, I only need to visit around once a year.  We do visit France each summer for family and inspiration.

Is the furniture created from local materials?
Yes, we're very conscious of our environmental responsibilities. We use only A grade Indian Rosewood (also known as sheesham) which is a hardwood with a beautiful grain. It's organic and beautiful, and every piece has its own unique variations.

What inspires your designs?  
Mark designs the furniture, usually inspired by one great shape or idea.  We are always looking for something that can be carried across a whole range, and something that will work well with the materials and skills our craftsmen have. The Oslo range was inspired by modern Scandinavian design – that clean look works so well in any home. We love the industrial range, which is inspired by the old industrial features and buildings we've seen in Le Marais, Paris and Soho, New York.

We both love putting together an eclectic mix with diverse characters & styles mixed together, so we like to provide a range that people can draw upon to create their own look. In the end, we're making furniture to fit people's homes and lifestyles – we are very conscious of how it will be used in the home and we hope we give others the confidence to break the rules and create something very personal.