Welcome to Wilkins & Kent Furniture & Design Wilkins and Kent Furniture and Design was established by Jeremy Wilkins and Stephen Kent in 1994. Originally setting up their workshop in an unassuming Fitzroy side street the pair lovingly created quirky, brightly coloured bookcases, charming cupboards and chests made from bits and pieces reclaimed from skips or foraged from the tip. A style developed that was reminiscent of early Australian or depression furniture crafted from need and ingenuity. They honed their skill, with Molly the dog standing sentinel and usually one or two small children scrambling in the wood shavings. They catered to a very local clientele, trading directly from the side door around which the first makeshift ‘shop front’ evolved. From here the business has grown to incorporate a large Brunswick Street frontage. The “two men” swinging above the door remain a recognizable part of the landscape. Gone however are the days when Jeremy and Stephen would lock up shop and amble around the corner to the Black Cat for lunch. Nowadays, although the boys have staff, they still make all custom furniture themselves and we are all far too busy to down tools for too long. Well… you must however understand that the morning and afternoon tea tradition stands firm at Wilkins and Kent. If you happen to be passing the workshop door around the hours of 10 or 4 you may just catch a few ‘pearls’ emanating about anything from why Molly retrieves sandpaper from the bin, or the cultural implications of reality TV to (very vocally) the outcome of the cricket! We make it Out the Back Wilkins and Kent is a small furniture company based in Fitzroy, Melbourne. We specialize in CD cabinets, bookcases, beds, chests of drawers, dining tables and other custom made timber furniture. We are constantly expanding and in 2001 we opened our new premises at 230 Brunswick Street. Our light airy showroom is definitely the best way to experience our range of furniture. Our Timbers At Wilkins and Kent we aim to promote Australian timbers. Where possible we use recycled timbers. Our Australian timbers of choice are: Jarrah: a Western Australian rich, dark timber with a deep red undertone and chocolate grain. Red gum: a classic Victorian timber, sourced from rural mills and properly dried for furniture making, deep, reddish gold in tone, which typically has an interesting fiddle-back (dappled) figured grain. Natural feature ash: a number of different recycled Victorian hardwoods such as mountain ash, messmate and Victorian ash used (often together) under the idiom of 'natural feature'. Typically our natural feature is a pale or honey toned timber, featured with dark grey and black grain. Often evidence of the timber's past life, such as nail holes, is marvelously visible. We also have a wide range of other Australian, European and North American timber varieties available. Often we are able to take advantage of interesting, rare or limited timbers made available through our network of small suppliers. The Standard Range Wilkins and Kent is a small furniture company based in Fitzroy, Melbourne. We specialize in CD cabinets, bookcases and custom made timber furniture. We are constantly expanding and in 2001 we opened our new premises at 230 Brunswick Street. Our light airy showroom is definitely the best way to experience our range of furniture. We organise door to door freight to all states in Australia and have recently begun exporting our furniture overseas. Call us to find out how much it costs to freight to your area. Custome Made At Wilkins and Kent we understand that every home is different and that every room is unique in its décor, shape and size. That’s why we will customise our designs to the materials and size that best suit your needs. We have a selection of furniture for sale on the shop floor, but for those looking for something truly individual we will plan a piece especially for you. We also appreciate that many folk may be wary of 'bespoke' or custom built furniture because it can mean ordering without having seen a finished example of the piece beforehand. We aim to ease any concerns by including you in the development of the design process from the word go. The way we operate If you are after a custom made piece of furniture a typical relationship with Wilkins and Kent will commence with a visit to our Brunswick St shop, it’s definitely the best way to experience our unique style. Our friendly and attentive shop staff will be on hand to help you through the first stage, acquainting you with the furniture we produce and filling you in on the types of materials and styles available to you. Next it is likely that you will need to meet with either Jeremy or Stephen to discuss design requirements and nut out what materials and construction methods best suit your needs. Often drawings will be made for your approval. Under some circumstances we can arrange to visit your home. Very often more than one visit to us in Fitzroy will be necessary. Don’t forget that our approach is still very ‘local’ and the personal consultation is at the essence of our philosophy, you may not live around the corner but expect to be treated as though you do! A pricing structure will be discussed next: we’ll give you a quote. With our custom furniture, you may have guessed, it is our policy not to provide set price lists as we do with our standardized storage ranges, for the simple reason that every custom job we do is "bespoke" in its entirety – unique to you. What we charge is dependent not only on quantity or size but also on design specification, choice of timber, finish and method of construction. Finally when the design is complete and all is agreed we will commence work on your furniture. Typically you will need to allow around 12 week for your Wilkins and Kent custom built furniture to be ready.