ARK Workshop
Born from a father’s passion and his daughter Imari’s curiosity, ARK Workshop began with just a few chopping boards being sold here and there. We chatted with Ark Workshop founder Imari de Waal about her business and her journey so far…
1. Can you share a bit about the background of ARK Workshop - how did you start, when did you start?
My dad, Pieter, loves woodwork and always has. His first job, apart from being a farmer, was as a carpenter. Throughout the years he has been doing woodwork in his small workshop. In 2016, he started making wooden chopping boards for restaurants in the area. He originally asked me to get a branding iron made. I soon started helping him in the workshop and ended up selling the chopping boards in a few shops.
At the time I was working in Cape Town, but on weekends the hours would fly by as my Dad and I spent time together in the workshop, playing around with different types of wood and trying new designs. I loved it. And just like that, ARK Workshop was born.
2. Tell us a bit about your team. Where are you based? How many people work for ARK Workshop?
Our workshop is based on our family farm just outside Wolseley where we also farm pears and vegetables. The ARK Workshop team consists of 6 people. Some of our carpenters have more than 15 years' experience. I'd like to keep it this small, which will allow us to focus on quality homeware and furniture.
3. Were you always drawn to wood and wooden furniture, why was wood your chosen medium?
I was born into a family with a love for wood and woodwork. On family holidays, each kid would get a piece of a chair or table to sand. That was our TV for the holiday. By the end of the holiday, we would have restored something broken. Growing up we would go from one antique shop to another. My dad can't walk past a furniture auction without trying to find a special item- so this love and appreciation for wood has always been apart of our family for as long as I can remember.
4. What was the first ARK Workshop product ever sold?
Our first product sold was a small serving board with metal handles - we custom made it for a local restaurant. We still sell the Arkisan today.
View the Arkisan on their website now.
5. What are the core values and objectives that drive ARK and its team?
We pride ourselves in our craft. You can’t compromise on quality and we take extra time to ensure our products are finished off perfectly.
Craftmanship is slowly dying out, but it has the ability to lift people out of bad circumstances. There are a lot of unemployed people in our area and most are unskilled. Carpentry can be someone's way forwards and upwards.
6. Where do you draw your inspiration from?
I'm inspired by the wood we source - each piece of wood is unique, reflecting the natural beauty and distinct character of the wood grain. Like most designers and artists we draw inspiration from each other.
7. I’m sure, like any business owner, you've learned so much and overcome many challenges along the way. What is a key lesson that stands out for you?
I’ve learnt quite a lessons few along the way. The most important ones are:
The importance of keeping your word. If you say you're going to do something, you should do it and to your best ability.
That if it doesn't feel right, it probably isn't.
Lastly, as the business owner, I need to have high standards for quality and to just assume that no one, but myself, is going to enforce quality. At the end of the day, it's your reputation on the line.
8. How did ARK navigate its way through the COVID crisis, were there any major changes you had to put in place in order to survive?
To be honest, it was tough! We had a few online specials on our website and those sales kept our business going. We felt we had to pay our employees, even though they couldn't work. This was a difficult situation to navigate.
9. What can we look forward to seeing in the future from ARK?
We're looking at doing modular kitchen units. Keep your eyes and ears open!
10. And finally, we love discovering and supporting small local businesses. Can you share 2-3 small local businesses that you love?
I love Hannah Lavery, a local clothing brand. Simply Bee's natural beeswax products are a firm favourite. And the incredible Mungo's woven textiles.
Watch the Ark Workshop story below…
To see the full range of ARK’s homeware and furniture range, and to make your home something to talk about, head over to their website.