Overview
What turns a house into a home? Opinions vary. It could be precious memories, it could be building it with your own hands, it could be a renovation, or it could simply be turning a room into a space that's shared with the people you love most — and doing so with your own special flair.
For Sophie Biet, co-owner and designer at Marrickville furniture studio and showroom So Watt, it's the power to make a space your own through big and small means. Alongside her co-owner, director and husband Jonathan, she has created a bespoke studio that helps clients transform unassuming materials and spaces into something more than the sum of their parts: into a home, through and through.
With the studio celebrating its 10th anniversary, we spoke to Sophie to learn about their journey, their shared love for sustainability, as well as what So Watt does differently, and the dos and don'ts of interior design.
Turning Childhood Dreams Into Professional Degrees
Childhood is spent with a certain spark in one's eye about how we could end up living our lives. Maybe you wanted to be a racecar driver, an astronaut or a famous singer. For many of us, it's a dream we never got to see through — but not for Sophie or her husband, who each turned childhood dreams of becoming inventors into professional careers in design and manufacturing.
"I was convinced it was possible to build a two-storey cardboard cubby house to allow me to move into my own home at nine years old, while Jono took to the go-kart track competing against the other kids and tinkering away on his pee-wee motorbike in his spare time. This passion never went away, so eventually, we were both off to university to study Industrial Design, mine at RMIT and Jono at UNSW."
Two dreams, manifesting differently over the years, aligned into one story when the two met on an exchange program in the prestigious Dutch engineering university, TU Delft.
The North Star of Sustainability
Sophie and Jonathan knew So Watt would need an edge to stand out in the furniture industry. Furniture and other manufacturing industries generate a large amount of waste, so for two recently graduated designers, a sustainably focused store was non-negotiable. While that may seem broad for a business approach, it's resulted in a store experience and catalogue unlike anything else in the area.
"There was never an 'ah-ha' moment when it came to our sustainability focus, it was more something that grew from the early introduction to sustainable design at uni and the observance of the increased need for all of us to be making it a critical part of anything we do. When it came our time to launch our own company, it was more of an assumption that it would be focused on sustainable practices."
"One of our most unique traits is that everything we do is manufactured in-house, at our workshop below our showroom. For a company of our size, that's pretty unusual, as the manufacturing is more commonly done in larger off-site locations or overseas. This means we truly are an Australian-made company, not just designed in Australia and made overseas."
The Ups and Downs of Making Customers' Dreams Into Reality
So Watt isn't a run-of-the-mill furniture chain showroom. While there are a variety of products on offer and an in-store experience to be had, the mission of So Watt is one of guidance. Instead of pushing goods to whoever wants them to meet a bottom line, the So Watt team takes clients through it all, from aesthetic tips to full-blown custom furniture builds.
"No two days are ever the same! We have such big dreams for So Watt that there are always new product designs on the go, or new system designs to improve the experience for our clients and streamline the workflow for our team. Because we offer custom furniture and joinery, there are always interesting project briefs being sent our way."
Is there a common mistake in briefs that makes you cringe?
"White! We always have a small cringe response when clients want us to build something completely white and cover all the ply up as much as possible … Nothing beats a beautiful sheet of ply with all its timber grain swirls on show. You can't beat a natural material, but you can definitely make it pop with complementary colours or textures across the whole project."
Turning Simple Spaces Into Something Special with IKEA Hacks
When considering furniture, the most recognisable name in the game is IKEA. The So Watt team bounces off the Swedish brand's success and service in a surprising way: hacking (not literally) their custom kitchen service into something sustainable and, perhaps most importantly, affordable.
It's simple enough: Measure out your kitchen (thoroughly), build out a placeholder project with the online IKEA Kitchen Planner, and then take your shopping list of parts to the So Watt catalogue. You can book a free discovery call to scope it out with the pros first, or even let a design team take care of the whole process on your behalf for a fee.
"We started to have enquiries from clients for a more built-in concept or larger fit-out that continued the styling of our furniture, and this began our joinery service. Being built-in, we took control of all the site measures, design concepts and drawings as well as the install so it could only be offered to our Sydney metro-based clients. Adding the 'IKEA Hack' offering has allowed us to expand into joinery projects Australia-wide, allowing customers as far away as Perth to create bespoke-styled built-in joinery with the classic So Watt details and materials."
Any final words of wisdom for aspiring customers out there?
"Stay open-minded! It's great to have an idea of what you want, but it never helps the outcome if you try and force things to adhere to a preconceived idea. Also, the most helpful thing a client can bring to the table is some well-thought-through consideration as to how they will store their belongings. There's nothing worse than commissioning your dream bespoke home office only to forget about a spot for that laminator you use daily."
"After ten years, we feel like this is still only the beginning … We've been learning and watching, and are excited to be working on some pretty big concepts to crack the industry open and allow homeowners a more accessible option for custom furniture and joinery that isn't complicated and won't break the bank."
If you're interested in browsing the So Watt collection before you head in store, the team have curated their favourite designs into a ready-to-order catalogue, starring favourites like Speckle Billi Stool and Hardwood Peg Collection. Browse the options, pick a colour option and the team will begin on your piece in the workshop.
For more information on So Watt, to shop their collection or to book a consultation, visit the website.