Our Story
Three decades of craft, brought to London
The Beginning
I grew up around wood. My father, George Markou, ran a workshop — doors, windows, frames. The smell of timber and the sound of tools were simply part of life.
But when it came to choosing my own path, I wanted something different. I studied interior design, hoping it might be my way beyond the family workshop. Not because I didn’t love the craft — quite the opposite. I just hadn’t found what I was looking for in it yet.
After school I joined a large, well-established workshop. Good work, varied commissions — private homes, hotels, churches, monasteries. But something was still missing. I wasn’t satisfied with how my work was progressing.
The Mentor
Then, entirely by chance, I met my father’s competitor.
Athanasios Mermigas had spent four decades producing bespoke furniture and joinery of a calibre few could match. He had just retired when I found him — but he opened his workshop anyway. For six years we worked together every day.
What he passed on wasn’t just technique. It was philosophy. The patience to do things properly. The eye for detail that can’t be taught in a classroom. The ability to combine diversity with quality in a way that makes the work different from anything else.
He often said: “In the beginning, many deemed my services costly. In the end, they discovered just how fortunate they were to have chosen me.” Without doubt, he was one of the most gifted and devoted craftsmen in the field.
London
In 2011, I brought everything I had learned to London.
Today, Markou Design London works with homeowners across the city — creating bespoke fitted wardrobes, media walls, vanity units and living spaces, designed around the people who use them. After thirty years of craft, every piece is still made the way Mermigas taught me: with patience, with precision, and with no shortcuts.
30 Years Experience · London Based · All Work Guaranteed
"In the beginning, many deemed my services costly. In the end, they discovered just how fortunate they were to have chosen me."
Athanasios Mermigas · Master Craftsman · Tim's Mentor