FF&E downsizing with repeat client using as much of her existing furniture as possible.

October 2016

Part of the fun from a FF&E perspective, has been to include as many of our client’s existing furniture as possible into a much smaller space. She has a broad taste with pieces that span many centuries and styles such as an 18^th century armoire, a 1950s Hans Wegner teddy bear chair, a collection of contemporary painting and several 19^th century family portraits. Of course we love this eclectic mix – they are often the excellent examples of their time but it will require some thought tying them all together.

The client has commissioned Ali Robinson to design a beautiful cabinet to house many of the client’s smaller pieces so that they can be both appreciated and protected, as well as a new dining table as well as her existing red leather table is too large.

We designed the client’s previous property in Chelsea a few years ago. It was a semi industrial building in a courtyard with a large open plan living room, dining and kitchen on the first floor. This gives you some indication of the pieces we are going to need to include in her new apartment.

The design for the client’s new home needs to allow for and showcase these treasured pieces at their best. A carefully considered colour scheme will be key to making the pieces stand out instead of distracting attention from them. Equally important is a requirement for the space planning to be generous enough to give the furniture ‘room to breathe’.