The story of Myakka began in July 1999 after Georgie Hopkins & Simon Whitehead bought liquidated stock from a soft furnishing wholesaler.
Based in Wincanton, Somerset, Myakka looks very different almost 10 years on. Solid wood furniture is now the signature product of Myakka along with an extensive range of rugs and soft furnishings. Over 90% of the products are sourced from fair trade suppliers and Myakka’s style is distinct and extremely popular.
Whether a customer is looking for soft furnishings such as colourful sofa cushions or something more substantial like a Sheesham wood table and chairs, Myakka definitely caters for a wide variety of tastes.
The Myakka name came from a place in Florida where Georgie and Simon have fond memories. It is remembered by them as a very natural habitat. ‘Myakka’ also has the added advantage of being a completely unique word which every person interprets differently and to most people has no fixed geographic meaning. Therefore the meaning of the company truly is in the mind of the beholder.
Myakka first traded online in 2003 and as consumer demand increased, so did the size of the business. Every 18 months or so, the Myakka website is given an overhaul to keep things fresh and current with technology.
Georgie and Simon often visit overseas suppliers to see new requested samples and review working conditions of the companies they partner with. The principles of fair trade are very important to Myakka, as is the quality and consistency of the products they sell.
When asked about the mission of the company Georgie says: “I think Myakka is about being genuine, useful, honest and responsible… in terms of the products we sell, how they are sourced, how we serve our customers and how we look after our staff & suppliers. It’s important to me that I feel very proud of Myakka and our achievements and we certainly don’t just measure that on a financial scale.”
