About Us
Furniture is our thing.
Why? Perhaps it’s a wood thing, or maybe a design thing, or even just an obsession with making it just right. It's what we love, and we started Huckleberry so we could do what we love.
How do we do it? Well, every project starts with a conversation, to gain an understanding of what makes the client tick and how they’ll use their furniture.
We design with an expert eye – and a deep nod to our curiosity for art, architecture and British heritage design which shapes what we do.
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We are super-proud that we use the best timber and the best craftspeople who obsess over every detail.
Our satisfaction comes from making something properly and sustainably, and of such quality that you know it is going to stand the test of time.
This is what makes us Huckleberry.
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Somerset is our home and the wellspring of some of our best ideas. The organic materials we work with respond beautifully to the abundance of natural light here in our new studio, in an historic Georgian Rectory. The greens and the golds of the walled garden are the perfect backdrop to creativity or a welcome distraction from the day-to-day. Creativity is crucial to what we do. Inspiration comes from all that this corner of Somerset has to offer: from the Georgian architecture of Bath, to the contemporary art gallery and gardens at Hauser & Wirth; the inspirational design of The Newt and the ancient spiritual significance of Glastonbury. Or cider.
We support Moor Trees who plant a tree for every piece of Huckleberry furniture we make. Moor Trees is a charity dedicated to restoring native woodland on Dartmoor and South Devon, a part of the country where we have spent many happy times. The charity wants to see 10 million trees take root on Dartmoor by 2050, through carefully planned planting and natural regeneration which will increase tree cover from 12% now to one-third of the landscape. This will revitalise depleted habitats, increase biodiversity, expand existing wooded river valleys and create woodland corridors for our declining woodland wildlife. You can find out more at moortrees.org
​We are incredibly proud to have been selected as a Walpole Brand of Tomorrow 2024. Brands of Tomorrow is an incubator programme which takes twelve carefully selected early-stage brands through a year-long programme of workshops and mentoring to set them on a path to growth. Walpole is the industry body for the British luxury sector. You can read more on our blog.
Matt & Claire Podesta
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Matt, Co-Founder and Creative Director
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At school, woodwork was extracurricular and therefore technically not as important as double Maths on a Tuesday. However, I loved it, and my school was open-minded enough to encourage me to pursue it wholeheartedly.
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This took me to university (via art college) to chisel out a degree in Industrial Design and Manufacture of Furniture. Then on to London, where I was lucky enough to design for some of the best in class: including Habitat, Tom Dixon, Smallbone and Mark Wilkinson – before striking out on my own in 2002.
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Huckleberry was the logical conclusion in 2020, pooling our combined experience and tastes.
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I like to take inspiration from architecture that sits well in its own environment – from the majestic to the more modest – anything that makes great use local materials and design. A ‘knack’ for the vernacular that has happily led to awards and accolades along the way. I sit on the Worshipful company of Furnituremakers' Bespoke Guildmark Committee and I very much enjoy speaking about furniture design, judging awards and – particularly – mentoring young designers.
Claire, Co-Founder and Marketing Director
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I can't remember a time when I didn't know I was going to be an artist, although prior to that I may have briefly entertained the notion of being a princess or a detective, as a sideline.
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After school, I had a productive and fulfilling time at art college, then university. Armed with a degree in Graphic Design, I started my career designing magazines for British Airways. I soon spread my professional wings working for a panoply of London design and marketing agencies, in diverse sectors including tech, independent education, interiors, book publishing and packaging that broadened my horizons and abilities, along with bringing up our three children. All the while, though, my love of painting never waned and, to this day, I still paint – mainly abstract landscapes and seascapes.
As well as being head of marketing and PR, I love developing the furniture collections with Matt, both interior and exterior, and work closely with clients to make sure each project runs smoothly.