Kelly Smith is founder of Spelk Studio and designs high quality, design-led furniture influenced by the landscapes of North East England and her love of heritage-inspired aesthetics. Spelk is deeply committed to sustainability, and Ms Smith ensures the company’s products are crafted responsibly, with an eye toward lasting environmental impact.
What was your first job (and how much did it pay)? As a teenager I worked in a wallpaper shop in Sunderland. This was before minimum wage became law, so I only earned around £2.50 per hour. In a foreshadowing of my future career in design, I got sacked for drawing on a bit of scrap paper!
What is the best advice or support you’ve been given in business? "Don't hire people like yourself - you’ve already got that covered". It’s a simple but powerful reminder that diversity in a team is crucial for growth and success. If everyone you employ is the same, you end up with a company that’s good at only one thing. But by hiring people who bring different perspectives and expertise, you create a team that’s more adaptable, creative and capable of tackling a wider range of challenges.
What are the main changes you’ve seen in your business/sector, and what are the challenges you’re facing? I think people are becoming increasingly conscious of sustainability. There’s been a lot of talk about the issues with fast fashion, and now there’s a growing awareness that fast furniture is equally problematic. If the manufacturer isn’t telling you where a product is made, it’s because they don’t want you to know.
My main challenge is that many manufacturers won’t work with companies who aren’t placing big orders. My company, Spelk Studio, manufactures furniture to order, which increases efficiency and reduces wastage. We’re not one of those companies that orders huge amounts and burns unsold items at the end of the season - that’s not sustainable. That’s why we source our products from small British suppliers who share our commitment to sustainability, and who manufacture each item specifically for each of our customers.
What would your dream job be? Truthfully I love working in design. Every superhero wants to save the world, and we actually live in a world that needs saving. Figuring out how can humans live well without destroying the planet is the big challenge of our times, and designers are the ones who are uniquely positioned to envision that future.
What advice would you give to someone starting out a career in your sector? Learn how to see. So many people walk around with their eyes closed, not paying attention to the world around them. As Sherlock Holmes said: “It is a capital mistake to theorise before one has data”. So go and look. The aim is to see what everyone else has seen but think what nobody else has thought.
What makes the North East a good place to do business? Everyone is so friendly and supportive in the North East. In other regions it can be difficult to break into established professional networks, but in the north east everyone is willing to talk to you and offer help if they can.
How important is it for business to play a role in society? Businesses have always had the potential to be more than just profit-making machines. In Victorian times, for instance, many employers understood the value of supporting their workers' wellbeing. They built model villages to house their staff, complete with schools, parks, libraries and recreational facilities. Fast forward to today, and you see similar philosophies in Japanese companies, where employee welfare comes before the pursuit of profit. It’s a mindset that sees business as a social force, not just an economic one. When companies truly invest in their people, the returns are more meaningful than just numbers on a balance sheet.
Outside of work, what are you really good at? I write game supplements for table-top roleplaying games, and when I’ve got time I run games for friends. I’ve been told that my maps are very realistic - I’ve thought about all the details like where people would get washed and do laundry, where they would store their food and cook, where their water source would be, etc. Even my “haunted house” had a bath and toilet!
Who would play you in a film about your life? When I was younger, people used to say I looked like Kathleen Turner. She’s a fantastic actress but I don’t know how she’d manage with the northern accent?
Which three people would you invite to a dinner party, and why? Leonardo da Vinci, David Attenborough and Frida Kahlo. Leonardo da Vinci is my hero - he had an insatiable curiosity and a mind that bridged art and science, so I’d be fascinated to see how he’d apply his creativity to modern problems. David Attenborough’s lifetime of exploration and environmental advocacy is unparalleled; I’d love to hear his stories from the field and his perspective on the future of the world. And Frida Kahlo, because I share her feelings about the importance of self-expression and cultural heritage, and I’m inspired by how she embraced her roots unapologetically while using creativity as a powerful form of personal and social commentary.
