Husband and wife duo Luke Atkins and Veronica Paiva are the new kids on the Australian furniture scene and weā€™re tipping them as the ones to watch!

We recently discovered them when exploring Instagram ā€” a photo of their three-legged stool shot from above, revealing the latte and chocolate wood grain, gave us major heart eyes!

Naturally, we contacted them immediately to tee up a chat.

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Luke Atkins and Veronica Paiva
Veronica Paiva and Luke Atkins

Can you tell us how Christopher Blank came about?

Iā€™m a carpenter by trade. Iā€™ve always loved timber and creating things.

ā€œThe carpentry game changed a lot from when I started. Itā€™s all just high density living now and I began to lose interest in that pretty rapidly,” says Luke.

ā€œLate last year I had a knee reconstruction and I couldnā€™t work. I bought a table saw and started cutting timber in the back yard.

“I’m not sure how or when I got it into my head that I could make it. I was so desperate to get out of building that I had no choice but to go for it and try something new.”

ā€œIt was a really good progression and happened organically,ā€ says Veronica.

ā€œIf you look back at how it all happened and all the signs, without wanting to sound corny, you would really say it was meant to be.ā€

Veronica is the national visual merchandising manager for Mecca Cosmetica. With her eye for design, she manages all the marketing for Christopher Blank and is deeply involved in designing the pieces.

ā€œIā€™ve always loved product design, 3D design, interiors and bringing concepts to life,ā€ says Veronica.

Christopher Blank skinny love stool
Skinny Love stool

Talking about design, how would you describe your style?

ā€œAh, I knew youā€™d ask that,ā€ laughs Veronica.

Itā€™s really hard to pin point. We work mainly to client briefs but Iā€™d describe our style as simple, all about proportions and a finish thatā€™s so smooth itā€™s like glass.

ā€œSome clients like totally clean pieces and others like a look thatā€™s organic and textured,ā€ says Luke.

The wood you use is so beautiful, where do you source it from?

ā€œA lot of builders Iā€™ve known over the years will contact me if thereā€™s a house demolition and Iā€™ll grab the wood,ā€ says Luke.

ā€œOften it can look ordinary and then you strip it back and it comes up beautifully.ā€

ā€œAnd sometimes how you create a piece by the placement and composition of different timbers together can make all the difference,ā€ says Veronica.

Looking at some of your Instagram photos and videos where youā€™re wielding a hammer, it seems like at times you have a bit of a love-hate relationship with your work.

ā€œIā€™m always being an idiot,ā€ says Luke. ā€œItā€™s the only time Veronica encourages it! Iā€™ll ask, ā€˜Can I put a cape onā€™ and sheā€™s like ā€˜Go for itā€™!ā€

ā€œWe like to show our personalities and have fun. For each piece weā€™d like to come up with a short video or photo,ā€ says Veronica.

Luke of Cristopher Blank
Luke having fun in the workshop

ā€œWe also send clients progress shots along the way like ā€˜We bought the timber todayā€™ and itā€™s a nice way of involving them and taking them on a journey.ā€

That fun energy certainly comes across, especially in all the adorable photos of your fur children Betty and Barberella. Do they have a big influence on your business?

ā€œAbsolutely! They play a really big part,ā€ says Veronica.

ā€œWeā€™re always thinking of them and how we can include them, like making dog bowls or dog houses.

Most of our brainstorming and planning happens when weā€™re walking the dogs at night because itā€™s the only time Luke and I have together when weā€™re not doing other things.

ā€œBut theyā€™re pretty scared of the machines in the workshop ā€” especially Betty,ā€ says Luke.

ā€œEven a broom and she shits herself and runs away,ā€ he laughs.

ā€œWe only take them down on the weekends when we can keep an eye on them.ā€

Christopher Blank dogs
Barberella (left) and Betty (right)

Is it just you, Luke, who is creating the furniture or do you have other helpers?

ā€œI make all the pieces and Veronica does all the marketing and background stuff,ā€ says Luke.

ā€œIā€™m pretty much running around like a crazy man, working 12 hour days, but itā€™s lots of fun.

ā€œIā€™ve tried to cut down the amount of stuffing around I do.

ā€œIf it steps up another 10-15%, Iā€™ll need to call on help but weā€™ll keep it in the family, like getting my dad who is retired to help out.ā€

Where did that name Christopher Blank come from?

ā€œWe thought for a long time what we would call the business and none of the names worked,ā€ says Veronica.

ā€œOne day we were catching up with one of our friends, Todd, who is our graphic designer and he suggested ā€˜Paiva Atkinsā€™ our surnames but I didnā€™t want it to be our names.

He asked what our middle names are, Lukeā€™s is Christopher and I said I donā€™t have a middle name, itā€™s blank. Christopher Blank he said, done, perfect!

Custom Christopher Blank table
Custom table

What are your goals for Christopher Blank?

ā€œWeā€™d love to have a range thatā€™s just ours. At the moment everything is made to a client brief but weā€™d like to create our own proprietary range,ā€ says Veronica.

ā€œWe always say weā€™d like our someday to become our everyday, even if itā€™s just the two of us.

ā€œLuke always jokes about global domination,” laughs Veronica.

ā€œWe always have more ideas of what we can do with the business, itā€™s just a matter of having the time ā€” we have a running list of things to do!

ā€œOur dream is to design. Iā€™d love to do it full time as well, along with other freelance work.

ā€œWe would like to have a fully functioning e-shop [ā€œWhatā€™s that?ā€ asks Luke] with 10 core products by Christmas.

ā€œItā€™s a good problem to have that weā€™re so busy we havenā€™t had the time to do those things yet.

ā€œWe prefer to do things really well even if it means taking a bit longer.ā€

Thanks so much Veronica and Luke for sharing your story. To check out more of their work, go to their website or Instagram account.

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Christopher Blank table
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Style Curator
Style Curator is an award-winning blog about the pursuit of a stylish home. Founded by Gina Beschorner, a social media adviser turned blogger and Interior Designer, we share our favourite home products, tours of designer homes, interviews with artists and experts in the design industry and other stylish news. Subscribe to our e-newsletter for weekly highlights!

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