Spotlight
Sedilia
A sounding board for a modern workshop
Furniture
Robert Stephenson is the bespoke craftsman sought by the most illustrious interior designers working today. His workshop - vast, but hidden behind an unassuming door off Clapham High Street - is filled with exquisite handcrafted furniture in various stages of completion. The brief is always eloquent: “beautiful and comfortable”.
Since he established Sedilia nearly thirty years ago, Robert has excelled in the role of master craftsman, and sales have been through periods of immense growth. But building the nuts and bolts of a business that would reflect a life’s work has, he admits, been harder.
“I wish I’d come across Practice a good few years ago. I needed them then.” - Robert Stephenson, founder
In 2020 Sedilia took an important step up when it launched its own furniture collection, ranging from sofas and benches to ottomans, to complement its bespoke work. Signature sculptural pieces now take centre stage in high-end residential properties, luxury retail spaces and superyachts.
The collection provided a scalable aspect to Sedilia’s business model, and as Robert eyed the next phase of development, he realised he needed a closer connection to finance in order to keep growing sustainably.
“There are times when it’s lonely running a business. I was able to ask what felt like the obvious questions of Practice.” - Robert Stephenson, founder
Practice began with a broad survey of the business - from analysing products and margins to unpicking the minutiae of its bookkeeping. Robert was accustomed to forecasting cash, but Practice proposed a view of the business over 5-years and collaborated with the team to set a long-range trajectory that defined the next chapter of Sedilia’s business development.
“It’s creating a pathway. Practice isn’t telling me how to run my business, but they are telling me how to achieve what I want to do.” - Robert Stephenson, Founder
With Practice’s support Robert was able to define narrative objectives that tie to measurable financial goals. By overhauling the bookkeeping system, Sedilia now works to a clear budget embedded within a management accounting pack that tracks monthly targets and performance. All of which is reinforced by quarterly CFO sessions and on-demand support whenever the difficult questions arise.
For Robert, the effect is transformative: financial clarity has enabled the creative and practical aspects of the business to operate in synchrony, giving Sedilia a strong framework in which to grow.
