Destined for design …

Are you aware of our Harrods connection …? Andrew comes from a family of designers and as a small child, spent many Saturdays in Harrods with his grandfather, who was Head of Interior Design at the prestigious Knightsbridge store during the 1960s, ‘70s and ‘80s.

Early Design Aspirations

As a teenager Andrew therefore spent his formative years absorbing the fashions that swept through the decades, and this exposure to the design world undoubtedly had an impact on the career decisions he was to later make.

From the early beginnings of his antiques business, Andrew’s passion for furniture and furniture design grew, and over the intervening years he developed skills and a deep understanding of antique and vintage pieces and the intricacies of their restoration. He was increasingly approached to make adaptations to period pieces and to design fully bespoke items for residential and commercial properties – both period and contemporary styles.

Andrew spent many Saturdays in the Design Studio at Harrods pouring over beautiful hand drawn renders, ink drawings and photographs for stunning interior projects, some of which have been handed down.

Interior Design Styles

Just as fashions (clothing) have changed through the decades, so has interior design. But what we find fascinating is that many of the materials used in the 1970s for example, are being used in our business to create both traditional and modern furniture.

The use of metal and wood soon made a reappearance in the later 1960s after the initial popularity of plastics and other new materials in the first part of the decade. Thoughts turned to environmental concerns in response to this lavish lifestyle as people began to move away from mass consumerism and instead focus on more sustainable design practices and materials. (Connox.co.uk)

A Look into the Past

Recently Andrew has re-opened the boxes of old paperwork, drawings and photographs and he has unearthed this image showing a Harrods Studio design of a 1970’s state of the art kitchen in a Sevenoaks home, featuring a huge centre island copper cooker hood … not very different to those we produce in his workshop today. Searching through some old paperwork and photographs recently, Andrew unearthed these images that include one showing a Harrods design of a kitchen featuring a copper cooker hood … not dissimilar to those we produce in our workshop today.

The property was built around 1925, but the 1970’s re-design is reminiscent of the time, with people such as David Hicks influencing the mixing of colours, patterns, and time periods of furniture. Such design choices delivered cohesive looks that incorporated elements others would have found to be clashing or conflicting – again, not too dissimilar to today’s love of eclectic mixing of classic pieces with modern bespoke items (minus the sunken bath and shagpile carpets!). This window into the past appears to mirror our present day, and while some designers help their clients return to a more sympathetic interior scheme, others are more than happy to push the design boundaries, just as Hicks was. (https://www.vogue.com/article/legendary-interior-designers-decorators-everyone-should-know)

(Click on the images below…)

Bespoke Design

We’re no strangers to design challenges and love working with clients to create a wide breadth of products, from the contemporary to the more traditional, using high quality materials and expert craftsmanship. Contact us to find out more.

Harrods

Following in the footsteps of Andrew’s grandfather, we also work with clients to help them bring their interior design ideas to life. If you have something specific in mind, but can’t find it ‘off-the-shelf’, contact our team to discuss your requirements in detail.

Bespoke Cooker Hoods

Specialising in bespoke metalwork for a variety of installations and uses, our team can work with you to create exactly what your interiors are crying out for. Choose from a number of different metals and finishes to achieve the ideal aesthetic for your interior space.