A view inside the Harrods Home in London.
By Denise Marray/Gulf Times Correspondent/London
In the four years since Qatar Holdings purchased Harrods, the world famous store has undergone a major facelift. The slightly faded look on some of the floors has been swept aside to reveal streamlined, dynamic spaces which give a fresh feel, while retaining all the style and allure that goes with the Harrods name.
Gulf Times was interested to see the transformation on the third floor, home to furniture and home furnishings. Harrods Home is quite simply a joy to visit. Its new look is the brainchild of Annalise Quest, director of Home, Furniture, Sound and Vision, who, over the past year has cast a keen eye over the whole expansive space and made some decisive changes. The result is a beautifully planned and easy to navigate floor that moves the customer effortlessly through the very best contemporary, modern and classic brands from around the world.
It’s an approach that has translated into a significant increase in sales and orders.
One of the most striking rooms on the floor contains displays of furniture selected by the Harrods Home Buyers’ team. Each buyer takes a different theme and shows a mix of brands in beautifully arranged settings. So, for example, you can find silk twill Muuna armchairs alongside Jonathan Charles sofa tables and Ginger & Jagger coffee tables, or an Amy Somerville tangerine orange chair with a Boco Do Lobo centre table. The effect is quite stunning and gives the customer an insight into how brands can complement each other.
Another inspiring room contains the Italian luxury designs of Baxter, Bottega Veneta and Giorgetti. Baxter has designed pieces exclusively for Harrods Home reflecting Quest’s vision for a unique, trend setting edit.
For glamour there are such names as Fendi Casa, Reflex, Giorgio and Malerba.
Customers wanting to take advantage of the expertise of the Home floor specialists have an array of options to choose from; these include teams from The Studio and the Fabric Library. The Studio at Harrods team, which includes designers and architects, can handle anything from the complete design of a hotel or apartments to a private home. Within the home it could be anything from a new nursery to a whole house transformation.
The Fabric Library is a place to browse at leisure through a wonderful selection of luxurious fabrics including designs by Armani, Dedar, Mulberry, Missoni and Hermes. Design consultants are on hand to assist with the choice of fabrics and will also visit the customer’s home to give specialised advice and take care of the installations.
Customers who are planning to buy furniture and need to have a clear idea of how a particular piece will look in their home can turn to the very practical Interior Planning Service. A consultant will visit the customer’s home and draw up a plan of the rooms in order to create a mock-up of how the desired pieces will fit into the space with consideration to size, scale, colour and design effect. This service comes with a £250 charge, but this is redeemable upon purchase of the furniture. It’s a popular option that takes the ‘guess work’ out of the selection of major purchases.
Bespoke lighting by designers such as Lasvit can also be ordered for the home. Rugs of the finest quality and design can also be found on the third floor.
Luxury beds by Tempur, Roche Nouveaux, Vi-Spring, Timothy Oulton, Tom Dixon, Talisman and Delightful are displayed to their best advantage for customers seeking a dream bedroom.
For those who enjoy their outdoor spaces, there is a range of outdoor living furniture featuring Fendi, George Smith, Smania and Indian Ocean that goes way beyond what you might expect to find in a garden or on a terrace in terms of colours, fabrics and sheer flair.
There are delightful pop up rooms to explore such as Moooi and Les Trois Garcons.
For those who might want to purchase a home as well as furniture while browsing through the third floor, it would be worth strolling into Yoo which joined Harrods Home last month. Homes can be purchased through Harrods Estates Yoo Home. Yoo is the result of a partnership between property entrepreneur John Hitchcox and designer Philippe Starck. Its designs reflect collaborations with a range of global talents.
All in all Harrods Home is a great place for anyone who wants to see the very best furniture and furnishings in one dedicated space that is easy to navigate and a real treat to the eyes. Frato, Flexform, B & B Italia, Maxalto, Ligne Roset — these are just some of the leading brands that are presented in a way that does justice to their outstanding quality.
Finally, it’s worth pointing out that the staff really know the designs they sell; detailed knowledge of the brand is an important part of their training, and that makes a big difference to the shopping experience.