DE S IGN CENTRE
know,” she says, adding that the hardware, from brands such as
V.Brokkr and Barbera (think sculptural door- pulls in amazing organic shapes), is a particular draw. She has exclusive UK (and sometimes Europe-wide) access to the brands in her stable, and her collective is attracting new clients: lighting company Volker Haug, for example “is really art, in lights. The brand is allowing us to work with studios we hadn’t before, because its work is so elevated and interesting.” Markou adds that she thrives on dialogue with
designers, and while the same is true of all the showrooms, it’s especially relevant to those that offer custom-made or fully bespoke products. At Philippe Hurel, which has an impeccable French pedigree, this is the norm, not the exception. “We love to be challenged – and with every single bespoke project we are challenged, and pushed to find solutions or a new technique,” says its UK manager Katia Sobolina. The company is rooted in a cabinet-making tradition, but brings in other specialisms such as straw marquetry, and is known for its specially developed finishes. A bespoke commission might mean a visit to its Normandy workshops to try out techniques for yourself, talk to its craftspeople and discover all the possibilities: “Some of
“WE LOVE TO BE CHALLENGED – AND WITH EVERY SINGLE BESPOKE PROJECT WE ARE PUSHED TO FIND SOLUTIONS”
the people there have been there for 20, 30 years – they will understand your idea and advise the best way to achieve what you have in mind,” says Sobolina. The Turnell & Gigon showroom is another spot
where rare skills can be found. It works with fourth- generation passementerie company Les Passementeries de l'Ile de France (one of the last such companies still working in France), where painstaking hand-work is combined with vintage weaving machines; and also runs its own hand-embroidery company, Palestrina London, to cater for the pinnacle of interior designers for whom only the best is good enough (clients included Alidad, Winch and Katharine Pooley). “Showing people our collections is just the best thing – they are amazed,” says Palestrina’s Suzanne Whitehead. “And the more you look at them, the more you see; the detail just keeps on coming.” From textiles embellished with sequins, seed pearls and leather to appliqué on hand- painted silk, each piece is simply exquisite. “Obviously, there are always the traditional techniques, but if we can innovate, we will,” says Whitehead. It's not always about keeping traditional hand-
making skills alive, though. Over at Watts 1874, the 151-year-old company moves with the times, using digital techniques to create its Tableaux Sceniques – tapestry-like murals and fabrics that can be altered in
some very personal ways (the team has become adept at adding homeowners’ beloved dogs to the scenery, or supplanting buildings for real-life, recognisable properties) alongside scale and colour changes, and even swapping out one type of tree for another. Innovative substrates such as cork and (most recently) a velvety faux-suede give incredible patina, depth and a sense of age to a product that is brand new. You can see its work in some of the world’s best hotels, from Laura Gonzales’ Hôtel Hana in Paris to Gilles & Boissier’s Mandarin Oriental Ritz in Madrid. Watts retains the old-school ways of making
wallcoverings, too: its archive includes the original hand-carved wooden blocks that are an intrinsic part of its Victorian heritage. “We’ve always done bespoke and it’s something we always want to retain; I think it’s important,” says CEO Marie-Séverine de Caraman Chimay. “And because we do everything in-house, we can respond immediately to what people want. We sort of ride every wave that comes our way.” Talking to the showroom experts, it seems that
it takes confidence and experience for designers to commission a bespoke piece – it’s not just about the budget. It also hands showroom staff a responsibility to encourage and educate, a mantle they are happy to take on. “Sometimes it’s difficult when someone wants
a sample and you have to say ‘there is no sample’ – because it’s not a range, everything is one-off,” says Miles de Lange, of Alexander Lamont + Miles. "Often, it goes quiet after that – but there’s always that person who will push their studio, sell it through, focus on the beauty of something and the benefit to the client to have it. And that person, well, you need to grab them and hold on to them.” One of de Lange’s stable of brands, French textile maker Anne Corbière, recently worked with US designer Michael S Smith on some large handwoven panels for a dining room with the most delicate embroidery of tree boughs, a collaboration with embroiderer Maritza Rietzman. Corbière’s work is truly couture for the home, especially when you know her background is working for luxury fashion houses such as Christian Dior and Givenchy; by tapping into her creativity, interior designers are elevating their interiors to the highest level. Boutique brands relish the challenge of creating the
never-before-seen, and the journey is as rewarding as the destination. “The lovely thing about working with all the top designers is that you get to hear all their ideas – and just about everybody comes up with something that’s never been done before,” says Palestrina’s Suzanne Whitehead. “The part I enjoy the most is that there aren’t any rules.”
ABOVE: At Istanbul restaurant Scalla, design studio Urban Jobs sourced Barbera’s ‘Fermat’ entrance handles from The Specified, plus hardware by Turnstyle Designs and products by Dedar, Phillip Jeffries, Ralph Lauren Home, Casamance and Arte OPPOSITE, CLOCKWISE FROM TOP LEFT: Hand drawings guide makers at Les Passementeries de l'Ile de France, available at Turnell & Gigon; heritage Scottish lace firm MYB Textiles (available at August+Co) created bespoke panels that sit under glass tabletops at Martin Brudnizki Design Studio’s Le Grand Mazarin hotel in Paris; intricate fringing being made at Les Passementeries de l'Ile de France; one of Watts 1874’s Tableaux Sceniques, customised to include the homeowner’s dog
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Ibrahim Özbunar/645 Studio
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