Martin Tallie and Zani Alberts established Deft Studios in 2020. As enthusiastic architectural graduates from NMU, 2020 found them in a profession struggling to provide employment, weakened further by a global pandemic. These factors saw them shift their creative outlet to furniture design and decor. Deft grew as an organic response to living creatively.

Martin and Zani drew inspiration from the principles obtained through their architectural studies and applied them to a line of furniture and product design. They did not have any prior experience in woodworking, only a passion for design.

They deeply valued the craft of woodworking and subsequently chose the name Deft -meaning a clever or skilful quality - for their brand. What started out as a personal expression of creativity and exploration into new fields of design has since matured into a humble business.