Long relationships are what make real improvement possible

We work only with suppliers we trust to hold the same standards we do. That trust isn't established in a season; it's built over years of visiting the same workshops, meeting the same teams, and improving the same processes together.

We have worked with our largest supplier for twelve years, since the year Atkin & Thyme began. Several others have been with us almost as long. Because those relationships are stable, we can raise a question about timber traceability, ventilation or packaging and expect it to be worked on rather than quoted for.

It also means our suppliers can plan. A workshop that knows what we'll be ordering in eighteen months can invest in its people and its premises, rather than chasing the next order.

A fair price is the starting point, not the gesture.

We strongly believe in acting honestly and sustainably in everything we do.

We only work with suppliers who we trust to uphold these same values.

We have longstanding relationships with our suppliers (we’ve worked with our biggest supplier for 12 years, which allows us to collaborate with them and make continual improvements in all aspects of sustainability.

The right wood for the piece, from a source we can trace.

Wherever we can, we choose the most responsible timber option available for each piece. Every supplier is required to source wood from traceable, responsibly managed origins, and 80% of our cabinetry suppliers work exclusively with FSC-certified timber.

97% of our range is made from woods grown close to the workshops where the pieces are made, from acacia, mango and rubberwood. These are fast-growing hardwoods, available locally to our makers, and they carry the grain and weight that our pieces are designed around. Mango and rubberwood in particular come from trees at the end of their productive fruiting or tapping lives, which would otherwise be cleared.

Veneers are used case by case, not as a default. Where a solid panel would warp, split or waste timber unnecessarily, a veneer over a stable substrate is the better answer for the life of the piece as much as for the forest. We say which is which on every product page, because a description that overstates what a piece is made of is its own kind of waste.

Fewer miles driven, and the packaging taken back out again.

Our delivery partners plan routes using software that groups deliveries by area and sequence, reducing the distance driven and fuel used for every piece that reaches a doorstep. It is unglamorous work, and it is where most of the impact of a furniture delivery actually lies.

A damaged piece is still a piece. It should end up in a home.

In our warehouse, we prioritise recycling waste whenever possible. Any items that cannot be recycled are disposed of through official channels rather than opting for the cheapest options. 

When customer returns come back damaged, we do not simply write them off. Instead, we either donate them to our charity partner, Furnishing Futures: a registered charity that provides furnishings for empty social housing for women and children who have escaped domestic abuse—or sell them through our outlet. There, even a small mark or scuff can be appealing to someone who appreciates the piece for its character rather than demanding perfection.

Less than 2% of social housing in the UK is let furnished. A sideboard with a scratched corner is worth a great deal more in one of those homes than it is in a skip.