Some of the most distinctive pieces in an interior begin with an idea that does not yet exist. A sketch, a material, an unusual finish or an ambitious concept becomes the starting point for a collaboration between designer and maker.

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For this edition of Ward & Co’s Makers Series, we feature Anka Bespoke, the family-owned British company specialising in bespoke furniture, specialist finishes, sculpture and artworks. Anka brings together craftsmanship, technical expertise and experimentation to create pieces tailored to the individual character of each project.

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Ward & Co is currently collaborating with Anka Bespoke on a residential project on a private island off Antigua, developing high-end furniture and specialist pieces for interiors shaped by their Caribbean setting. The partnership reflects a shared belief in the value of close collaboration, where design intent, material knowledge and skilled making come together to turn ambitious ideas into beautifully resolved pieces.

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The following Q&A is with Toby Clarke, Director of Anka Bespoke, who reflects on family, craftsmanship and the process of transforming a designer’s vision into something tangible.

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1- Anka was founded by your father Anthony in 2008, and you and your brother Harry have helped build it into what it is today. What does it mean to you to be running this as a family business, and how does that shape the way you work?

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It means a great deal to all three of us. The business was built from Dad’s sheer determination and hard work in the early days so there’s a real sense of responsibility in carrying that forward. As Ward & Co will know first hand, being family-run shapes the way you work in a very genuine way. We care about the relationships we build with clients, designers, and our team, because reputation is everything in a business like ours. As twins, Harry and I have different strengths but a shared commitment to keep pushing the business forward.

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2- When a designer brings you a concept for a completely bespoke piece, what does that early conversation look like, and how do you move from idea to something tangible?

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I’m known as the ‘yes man’ in the business, the more bespoke the piece is the better. I’ve always enjoyed finding ways to make ideas possible. Those early conversations usually begin with inspiration images or references from the designers; our role as the makers is to get a real understanding of what it is the designer is trying to achieve, not only visually but functionally too. From there, we’ll often develop a number of concepts based on the initial brief, giving the designer different routes to consider.

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Once a direction is approved, we move into material sampling, technical drawings, and producing mock-ups to demonstrate key details, proportions, and construction methods before the final piece goes into production.

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3- The pieces you have created for this project involve highly specialist surface work. Can you walk us through the techniques used and the level of skill required to achieve finishes like these?

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Specialist finishes have always been at the heart of the business. When Dad started back in 2008, liquid metal, lacquers and resins were what Anka specialised in, and over the years we’ve built a deep understanding and an incredibly experienced team when it comes to finishing.

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The pieces we’re producing for this project incorporate a wide variety of materials, including timber, fabric, liquid metal, resin, and lacquer. Many of the techniques we use today have been developed over the last eighteen years to create unique surfaces. The expertise we have in finishing has always been one of our greatest strengths, and I believe it continues to give us a real edge.

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4- Working on a Caribbean project brings its own set of considerations - climate, logistics, installation in a location far from your workshop in Corsham. How do you approach the practical challenges of delivering work at this scale and distance?

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Projects of that nature require careful planning from the outset. Climate is a major factor, so material selection, construction methods, and finishing systems all need to be considered with humidity, temperature, and longevity in mind.

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We’re also finding that more and more of the projects we’re working on are overseas, so logistics have become an important part of a project. We’ve built a trusted network of specialist delivery and installation companies that help us globally.

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At the heart of this collaboration is a shared understanding that bespoke design depends on more than an original idea. It requires trust between designer and maker, technical knowledge, experimentation and the patience to refine every detail until the finished piece feels entirely at home within its surroundings.

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For Ward & Co and Anka Bespoke, that process continues as the project develops. From the first conversations and material samples to the eventual making and installation of each piece, the collaboration demonstrates how ambitious interiors are realised through relationships built on craftsmanship, shared standards and the determination to make exceptional ideas possible.