Show Notes
Trends come and go, but brands built on craft, instinct, and resilience tend to stick around.
In this episode of Behind the Design, host Camilla Ingall sits down with Charles Hinckfuss, founder and creative force behind MCM House.
Charlie shares the unpolished reality behind building one of Australia’s most recognisable furniture brands, from early days focused purely on survival, to growing a national retail presence grounded in craft, instinct, and energy.
This conversation goes beyond aesthetics to explore what actually sustains a creative business over decades: trusting your eye, understanding materials deeply, resisting trends, and building a team culture that feels supported and excited by the work.
You’ll hear how Charlie’s early hands-on making shaped MCM House’s DNA, why texture and material honesty matter more than polish, and how resilience, humour, and momentum play a bigger role in success than any rigid plan. This episode is a reminder that great design isn’t about chasing what’s new, it’s about creating work that still feels right years later.
What You learn in this episode: * Timeless design outlives trends; Charlie explains why MCM House avoids trend-driven aesthetics in favour of materials and forms that age well over time. * Energy drives execution; From retail spaces to team culture, energy and mood directly shape outcomes — creatively and commercially. * Craft builds credibility; Early hands-on making gave Charlie a deep understanding of furniture that still informs MCM House today. * Growth without identity loss is possible; Scaling doesn’t have to dilute creativity when the brand is anchored in clear values and instinct.
Follow MCM House:https://www.mcmhouse.com
Follow Unfolded: Website: https://www.unfolded.com.au/Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/unfolded_
00:00 – Introduction 02:13 – From Vintage Retail to Furniture Making: The Chuck & Bob Years 04:09 – Why Experience Matters More Than Products in Retail Design 07:25 – Taking Creative Risks and Backing Yourself 09:16 – Touching Every Part of the Business as a Founder 11:41 – Choosing Materials: Fabric, Timber, Texture & Honesty 13:00 – Trends vs Timeless Design 14:17 – Growing a Brand in Sydney’s Competitive Retail Market 17:01 – What Does MCM Actually Stand For? 17:59 – Retail Expansion vs International Growth 19:03 – Opening Stores Across Australia 20:13 – Building a Team and Letting Go of Control 21:51 – Energy, Mood & Leadership in Creative Teams 24:05 – The Reality of Working Seven Days a Week 25:02 – Expanding Into Commercial & Hospitality Design 27:12 – Using Movies and Culture as Creative Direction 30:00 – The Hardest Parts of Growing a Product-Based Brand 34:23 – One Piece of Advice for Anyone Starting a Design Brand 38:56 – Design Trends That Need to Go 40:21 – Final Reflections & Episode Takeaways
interior design podcast MCM House Australian furniture design timeless interior design design brand building furniture design process interior design trends vs timeless creative business resilience retail design experience materials and texture in design how to build a furniture brand in Australia designing furniture without following trends interior design brand storytelling scaling a creative business without losing identity
More from Behind The Design
Twenty years ago, Sonia Warner and Jacinta Woods started Woods & Warner with two people, no plan B and a shared goal of creating beautiful spaces. Today they lead a seven-person Sydney studio, and most of what they know about running it was learned the hard way.
What happens when a designer spends years pursuing the practical path before finally trusting his creative instincts?
Bowerbird Interior’s success isn’t just a story about beautiful design. It’s a story about what happens when the business behind the design keeps getting bigger.
What do two successful designers admit when there is no guest to interview and the questions are coming straight back at them?
What happens when the business you're building almost ends before it really begins?