Handmade or hand-selected, we're proud to support exquisite craftsmanship and specialist skills. Join us as we sit down with artisans, curators and designers in our Meet The Designer series.
Buster + Punch has become synonymous with edgy, industrial style. The brand crafts a wide range of home and lifestyle designs, from lighting and furniture to hardware and accessories, putting a strong emphasis on style and durability. We spoke to the founder of Buster + Punch, Massimo Buster Minale, to learn about the evolution of the brand.
When and where did the Buster + Punch story begin?
Buster + Punch was founded in 2012 in a small garage in East London. I was an architect at the time and becoming increasingly frustrated with the slow nature of the industry, so by night I started to make custom motorbikes for London’s rockstars and fashion designers. The same clients started to ask me to make things for their homes and that was my spark to quit the day job and start Buster + Punch. There is no magic behind the name, ‘Buster’ is my middle name and ‘Punch’ is my brother's (although he is not involved in the company) – I guess fun parents that liked to drink!
Tell us about the Buster + Punch collection.
Essentially, I look at all the ordinary functional fittings in your home that, until now, may have been overlooked – light bulbs, door handles, light switches, cabinet pulls etc and try to reinvent the way they work, the way they look and most importantly the way you feel about them. I guess I specialise in making people want what they never thought they wanted before.
Tell us a little about the design and manufacturing process?
Our products are essentially a love-child of my two big passions – architecture & motorbikes. I have worked with heavy solid metals all my life and although it is not the ‘done thing’ in interiors (most companies will just plate cheaper metal) this is what sets us apart from the crowd. We have become famed for the way we diamond-cut our rare metals with the knurled pattern that has become quintessential with ‘Buster + Punch’. This is the signature that gives our ranges a unique look. We still use many of the same CNC and machining techniques that we used when fashioning motorbikes – albeit everything is a lot more precise and polished now.
“We are constantly looking outside of interiors, at London's sub-culture scenes to provide us with the next bolt of magic that will inform our next generation of products.”
What has informed your use of materials?
When we first started the brand, we had only ever worked with solid metals, it was in our DNA and all we knew. Our latest collections, however, are starting to look at other solid materials such, as stones, leather, and wood, which is helping to layer our offerings to become a little more trend-led. We are now informed by weight rather than material type. In a nutshell we want our products to always feel great to touch, which means they need to be heavy and authentic.
Where do you find inspiration?
Buster + Punch started as a sub-culture (making motorbikes) and that is what inspires today. We are constantly looking outside of interiors, at London’s sub-culture scenes (fashion, music, street art) to provide us with a new bolt of magic that will inform our next generation of products. We are London and we want our products to feel like London as well.
You recently launched the Accessories Black Edition. Tell us about it.
We decided to launch a full range of black accessories as we could see that matt black was going to be the ‘next big thing’. We can usually tell this by what we see on the catwalks. Our accessories and jewellery are made in exactly the same way as our home fittings. I suppose we just want to say that the same love goes into our door handles as the precious things you cherish round your neck or on your wrist.
"We have become famed for the way we diamond-cut our rare metals with the knurled pattern that has become quintessential with 'Buster + Punch'."
You have a new store in London. Tell us about it.
Yes we have just opened a new store in Shoreditch, at 28 Cowper Street. It is a 3-storey Edwardian building that has a store on the ground floor, an Architects & Designers space on the 1st floor and our ion-house designers on the 2nd. The store is a reinvention of the ’neighbourhood hardware stores’ of old that died out at the same time that big-box DIY stores terrorised our suburbs. We want to try and bring back that friendly, local energy to buying your home's finishing details. We also have a store in Stockholm and plans to open a store in NYC and LA.
We spotted your stunning kitchen on Buster + Punch's Instagram feed. Can you tell us about the interior decor of this space and which Buster + Punch designs feature?
I have just finished building a home in Stockholm on the bank of a picturesque lake outside of the city. The house is Bauhaus, the kitchen based around an old kitchen we had in our Brooklyn loft and a distinctly Scandinavian colour palette (lightgrey and almost blacks) – basically it is a melting pot of everything that me and my wife love. The kitchen was custom made in our London workshop from steel frame and stained English oak and we have Buster + Punch Smoked Bronze handles throughout. The lighting is also from our new CAGED collection and finished in black marble.
What exciting developments is Buster + Punch currently working on?
We recently launched our first ever short movie and original grime track on Spotify – called SWITCH UP. It follows the story of ‘Buster + Punch’ two motorbike riding, female cyborgs, sent to demolish all things plastic and replace with our solid metal fittings – and of course there are flame throwers. The film features a collection of the best young talent in fashion, film and music and the original track features vocals by up and coming UK female Rap artist – Ms Banks. The movie launched on our website on May 8th and the song can be heard on Spotify now.
We would like to thank Massimo Buster Minale for taking the time to talk to Warehouse Home. For more information on Buster + Punch, visit their website.
