Made.com is no more – where to buy furniture online in 2023
When Made.com launched in 2010 it seemed like a miracle of the furniture world, creating stylish, affordable pieces that you were as likely to find in the home of a student as you were an architect.
Over the next decade it would become so popular its mid-century-inspired designs became the de facto aesthetic in offices and restaurants throughout Europe. You couldn’t go to a dinner party without spotting one of those sumptuous velvet scalloped chairs in some pastel shade.
And then, in November last year, Made.com was gone, hit by a panoply of crises (the breakdown of the supply chain during the pandemic, rising production and shipping costs, the low rumble of an impending recession) that took it from an IPO valuation of £775m to administration.
The brand name, website and intellectual property were snapped up by high street giant Next but a quick scroll shows a very different company lurking beneath the familiar banner.
So where does that leave you and I, dear reader? Where are we to shop for an affordable but stylish new chaise longue without leaving the comfort of our current chaise longue?
Well, let us help you out with that – here are the online furniture shops saved in the bookmarks tab of the City PM Property team’s browser.
And while we can’t promise they all hit that sweet spot between value and quality that typified Made.com, we’re sure there is something here for almost everyone.
GRAHAM AND GREEN
Graham and Green brings a comfortable, lived-in aesthetic to a market saturated by clean lines and block colours – something we might have referred to as “shabby chic” before that phrase fell out of vogue some time around 2010. The family business started in the seventies importing “exotic homewares” from India, Morocco and Europe to the UK. We like this Lingbao cabinet, which brings a splash of colour as well as a certain antique sensibility.
• Lingbao cabinet, £2,250, grahamandgreen.co.uk
THE CONRAN SHOP
Sir Terence Conran in the 1960s, The Conran Shop has become a design staple, its pieces found in architects’ studios across the land. While the company was sold in 2020 it remains a beacon for modern, minimalist design, retaining a playful edge amid all the clean lines. Classic designs include the Iris lounge chair, inspired by a Conran original design that was so chic Picasso ordered two for his studio.
• Iris lounge chair, £1,795, conranshop.co.uk
TWENTYTWENTYONE
Founded in 1996 by Simon Alderson and Tony Cunningham, TwentyTwentyOne is another Mecca for design aficionados, selling some outstanding, Scandistyle pieces that are sure to become the focal point for any room. The company sells the work of other brands, both contemporary and vintage, as well as producing its own line of furniture that celebrates its commitment to both style and substance. We’re big fans of this Grid chaise longue, designed by Pool for Petite furniture, which combines Bauhaus charm with the kind of sleek minimalism that would look great in any setting.
• Grid daybed, £3,280, twentytwentyone.com
COX & COX
Coming firmly from the “traditional” camp, Cox & Cox are purveyors of farmhouse chic, with lots of rustic pieces of furniture that will give your London flat the air of a place that has at some point seen goats and chickens passing through. Based in Frome, Somerset, this is a great place to order from if your interior design would be complemented by lots of neutral shades and natural finishes. This barewood side table, for instance, is well constructed and suggestive of a quiet, stoic authority.
• Southwold side table, £295, coxandcox.co.uk
HEAL’S
Furniture store Heal’s was founded in 1810 – the same year Beethoven composed Für Elise and King George III was declared insane. Since then it has been at the forefront of innovation, even importing the first feather filled mattress from France. It’s known for its excellent craftsmanship, using both modern and traditional techniques to create pieces that should last a lifetime. A case in point is this Picard writing desk, a sumptuous creation that combines hand and CNC carving to create a series of pleasing curves. Perfect for writing your shopping lists on.
• Picard desk, £4,698, heals.com
SOHO HOME
Just as Made.com saw its design aesthetic repeated in commercial spaces across Europe, so has Soho House seen its effortless chic copied in the living spaces of the well heeled across the world. The design philosophy is a little harder to pin down but is typified by a casual approach to luxury, with lots of inviting upholstery in various mismatched fabrics, as if finding a set would have been far too much trouble for someone so busy and/or laid back. This oak bed with a statement headboard is a great example – relaxed but sophisticated.
• Amery bed, £2,095, sohohome.com
SWOON
“We started Swoon with the aim of giving home-lovers beautiful designs at fair prices,” says the marketing spiel, which could have been lifted straight off the Made.com website. And of all these companies, Swoon is probably the closest to the departed company, cutting out resellers to help keep prices low-ish. And there are some great pieces of furniture on here, with some funky design flourishes that will help lift your living room. This Ziggy sideboard with a brass design on the doors will certainly add some character to your home.
• Ziggy sideboard, £899, swooneditions.com