Superset Studio began as an experiment in making things last. Built on a frustration with the waste embedded in creative production, the studio was founded to explore what happens when the materials we work with are treated as worth keeping. That took shape as a collection of lightweight wall flats, plinths, and other reusable set pieces - built to be hired out, packed down, and used again.

Unlike furniture or props, painted sets need to be fresh and well-maintained between hires. Unfortunately, the experiment proved this extra work and cost isn’t something the industry will absorb.

So we've scaled back. Superset Studio now offers backdrop hire only: painted canvas and printed backdrops available to photographers, stylists, and creative directors looking for something with a bit more personality. The hand-painted canvases in particular are one-of-a-kind, with a human texture and quality that shows up beautifully on camera.

Melanie Martin is a spatial designer and maker with over fifteen years’ experience across set design, art direction, styling, and visual merchandising. She established Superset Studio in 2023 as a space to think seriously about the lifecycle of materials in creative production.

Her work is grounded in a love of colour, texture, and the tactile process of hand-making - and a particular satisfaction in solving three-dimensional problems with whatever's to hand. The backdrop hire collection is an extension of that practice: pieces made with care, built to be used more than once.