ESTABLISHED A NEW FURNITURE BRAND TO UNITE THE BEST OF UK DESIGN AND MANUFACTURING

Modus was established in Somerset as a British furniture design company working with home grown talent to manufacture high quality furniture for the contract furniture market.

Opened our first London showroom

We first took the plunge and opened our first London premises on Great Portland Street showcasing the best of British manufacturing, keeping it local.

Scooped multiple awards

Our collection gained industry acclaim with four prestigious Design Guild marks, awards recognising excellence in British design, as well as awards from Wallpaper, FX Design and ICFF in New York.

Set up our apprenticeship programme

Our first apprentice is still with us, and now, eight years on, he has his eye on the top job in the upholstery department. Eagerness, aptitude and hard work will probably get him there, which just goes to show, if you plant skills you can grow talent.

Moved to our purpose-built premises and began our sustainability journey in earnest

To encourage biodiversity, we planted a wildflower bank and swathes of native, pollinator attracting varieties, leaving wild spaces untouched, with Mother Nature in charge.

Created our policy on plastics

We pledged to work with suppliers to reduce incoming plastic, minimise virgin plastic in product, prohibit the use of single use plastics in all catering, and start the phase out of plastic from our packaging.

Launched our first 100% recycled cork product

The Bob stool was created using industrial waste produced in the manufacture of wine corks. 5% of the sales of all Bob stools supports the work of Movement On The Ground, a foundation on a mission to create a more innovative response to the refugee crisis. 

Joined the furniture industry sustainability programme

We chose to make a commitment to continuously improve our sustainability efforts. Each year we are independently audited to make sure we are on track.

Developed our first chair with a replaceable cover

Looking ahead to a more circular way of working, we developed Milo. Since fabric is the first element to wear out, the zip-off cover allows Milo multiple lives. Where Milo led, six other collections have followed.

Set up our school scrap donation scheme to local schools

We donate wood, board and fabric to the Design & Technology departments of four local schools, turning our waste into a valued resource, and enabling creativity to flourish.

Became an accredited living wage employer 

Fair pay is central to the way we work. We are committed to paying a Real Living Wage that meets the true cost of living. After all, a hard day’s work deserves a fair day’s pay.

Transferred to 100% renewable electricity supplier

All sites became powered by renewable energy, helping keep our carbon emissions to a minimum, saving over 16.5 tonnes of carbon every year.

Became a carbon neutral plus organisation

By using renewable energy, protecting forest in the Brazilian Amazon and planting trees in schools in the UK we became net zero, a year ahead of schedule.

Attained FSC chain of custody

Over 90% of our collection is now available with FSC certification. We are working on the rest.

Switched to water-based lacquers

All in-house joinery is now finished in low VOC, water-based lacquers and paints, helping reduce emissions and maintain good indoor air quality.

LAUNCHED OUR FIRST CHAIR MADE FROM 100 RECYCLED BOTTLES

Michael Young’s recycled plastic chair ‘Richard’ was the first 100% recycled plastic chair on the UK market.

Created ReWork - our furniture take back scheme

As a step on our journey to becoming circular, we established a remanufacturing centre, enabling our furniture to be returned to us and given a new life.

Achieved CertiPUR certification

All ranges containing sheet foam became CertiPUR certified, assuring extremely low VOC emissions and the restriction of harmful substances.

Extended our warranty to ten years

Our standard warranty was increased to reflect the longevity of our products.

Established our tree planting scheme – ReForest

We pledged to plant 1 tree for every 10 products we supply, supporting native species tree planting projects in the Peruvian Amazon.

Calculated recycled & recyclable content of our range

We created product cards for our whole portfolio showing pre and post-consumer recycled content and recyclable content at end of life.

STARTED MEASURING THE EMBODIED CARBON IN OUR COLLECTION

We are calculating the embodied impacts of our furniture, from global warming potential to eutrophication potential, because the greatest impacts lie in the products themselves.