Knot & Grain is a dynamic new flooring brand with a difference. Co-founder Natalie talks handcrafted design, bespoke customisation and prioritising sustainability
Natalie Mudd, founder of Knot & GrainTell us about the brand and how it came about
Knot & Grain is set to disrupt the industry by redefining how we shop for our floors. We’re unlike anything else on the market right now – our mission is to empower our customers with the freedom to design a bespoke wood floor that’s uniquely theirs. We’re all about customisation made simple.
The seed for Knot & Grain germinated from a desire for us to get away from the traditional model of shopping for a floor – through our experience in our showrooms and selling branded floors online, we learnt that offering thousands of mass-produced, imported floors only leads to inflated pricing and an over-complicated buying experience.
We started to develop the idea of offering something completely different. With a passion for woodwork and timeless interiors, we fell in love with the concept and together (with co-founders Dave and Sam) we developed and formed Knot & Grain.
Knot & Grain’s beautiful flooring is bespoke, and made to orderHow did you get into flooring?
Flooring’s been a part of my, and my husband Dave’s (co-founder), journey for over 20 years. In this time, we’ve both become quite the connoisseurs. In my previous career, I worked with creative agencies, building brands. I have a natural entrepreneurial spirit and a love for interior design, so this, alongside my previous experience, has proved invaluable with the creation of Knot & Grain.
What would you say is your USP?
Knot & Grain simplifies the complexity of choices that shoppers face when choosing their wood flooring. We empower our customers with the freedom to design bespoke wood flooring that is unique and affordable, without compromising on quality, from plank style to the surface texture, we keep things simple with our step-by-step process. And we deliver quality bespoke flooring directly to the customer (without the middleman.). We don’t mass produce, each floor is made to order, reducing wastage and our environmental impact, whilst providing customers with floors that meet their exact requirements.
How do you marry state-of-the-art tech with artisanal craftsmanship?
We champion the use of both modern technology and traditional techniques, and the combination creates beautiful, authentic, quality flooring, which is hard to beat. Our Heritage plank surface, for example, is scraped by hand with traditional craftsmanship techniques for an uneven, textured and aged appearance.
Tell us about the role of sustainability
We don’t mass produce. Each floor is made to order, reducing wastage and our environmental impact whilst providing customers with floors that meet their exact requirements. We take great pride in the materials we use, sourcing sustainable premium oak from France and handcrafting it here in the UK. Each floor is as unique as its customer, and we believe that bespoke flooring is a considered purchase designed to last, be enjoyed and used for years to come.
