It’s a strange profession, furniture. Who am I kidding? We’re just tradesmen really — or merchants, at best. And yet, I’ve spent the better part of 20 years in this industry, dragging all kinds of (mostly unsuspecting) people into it. Very few ever escape its gravitational pull. Once you’re in, you start to realise: this isn’t just about stuff. This is about space, and soul.
At the sharp end of a furnishing project — whether it's one home or 500 — there's a moment where something remarkable happens. An empty shell becomes a place. A cold concrete slab becomes someone’s home. The transformation can be fast, often brutal, and always thrilling. It’s endlessly motivating, chest-swelling and, frankly, fun.
But more importantly, over those two decades, something fundamental has shifted.
Where we once stood in front of clients and said, “How many would you like, guv? And where to?” we now find ourselves involved in something far more strategic — the articulation of brand, of lifestyle, of regeneration and aspiration. We are no longer just vendors. We are partners in place-making.
Great furnishing does all of this. You, dear reader, already know that — intuitively if not explicitly. The right chair, the right texture, the right light at the right time: it speaks. And in the world of Build-to-Rent, co-living, serviced apartments, even hotels — these finishing touches define the customer’s experience of value, of comfort, of pride. They say: “We thought about you. This place is for you.”
Yet this power — and let’s be honest, it is a power, the ability to use physical objects to deliver intangible outcomes — is still chronically underestimated.
Too often we hear:
“We’ll have to furnish, I guess... How few can we get away with? How little can we spend? Can we Value Engineer this down to the bare minimum?”
Now, let me be clear — there’s nothing wrong with smart commercial thinking. In fact, as merchants, it’s our responsibility to deliver the best possible product at the best possible price. That’s the job. But if we treat furniture as an afterthought, we miss the entire point.
Because here’s the truth: 100% of residential properties are furnished. The only question is by who.
Is it furnished by you, the developer, the investor, the visionary behind the project — with intention, thought, and purpose?
Or is it furnished by your customer, in a rush, from the internet, with something that doesn't reflect your brand, your promise, your legacy?
Given the stakes — your primary investment, your life’s work, your investors’ money and trust, your name above the door — wouldn’t you want the final, defining layer to be something you chose?
Furnishing is not just the end of a project. It is the beginning of the customer’s story.
So maybe the sector hasn’t just evolved. Maybe it’s only just caught up.