In September 2021, My furniture was approached by reality TV personality and influencer Gemma Collins to furnish her study and provide bar stools for her impressive new Essex residence.
We were presented with an enjoyable, open-ended brief to select items and colours that suited Gemma’s personality, her only specific request was to create a calming feel with a natural connection. We were sent photographs of the empty room and dimensions from Gemma’s PR company and started the design process from our studio in Nottingham.
The team were naturally drawn to a botanically inspired pallet consisting of pale pink, blush pink, bottle green and emerald green, choosing elegant forms and sparkling warm metallics to reflect her femininity and cheerful extravagant nature. Once the pallet was determined, paint colours, lighting, furniture and accessories were selected. Three key elements were initially identified that set the style, confirmed the colour scheme and added structure and impact; these were the Claridge Armchair, upholstered in blush pink velvet with brass legs, the Otto Brass Desk and the Verdell Rug. The Mantis Dining Chair, also upholstered in blush pink velvet, the Panatella Brass Side table and Cleo Shelf in Brass completed the furniture selection. The next task was to choose accessories and paint finishes, Tropical Blush No.1 and No.2 were the obvious choice for wall art, as they were specifically designed to coordinate with the tropical theme of the Verdell Rug and the blush pink upholstery fabric. The paint colour ‘Warm Alpaca’ from Valspar was identified for its muted pale pink hue that ties the other pink elements together without overpowering them. Feminine blossoms, draping plants and timeless brass desk accessories completed the dressing. The Marantz Floor Light and Marantz Table Light added the final decorative touch and functionality to the design proposal. Gemma selected the Barstools personally – our Alveare model, with its iconic honeycomb design, she chose the brass finish with blush pink upholstery fabric, which coordinated perfectly with our furniture selections. (The Alveare Bar Stool is part of an extensive furniture collection that also includes tub chairs, dining chairs, sofas, occasional tables and lighting items which are available in a selection of metal finishes).
After all the selections were made, a scale drawing was created of the room and furniture items to ensure that everything was suitable in size and allowed for practical use of the space. With this now confirmed, a hand-drawn visual was created and a digital mood board was produced to communicate our ideas. The proposal was sent and we soon received a response stating that Gemma was delighted with the scheme. Following this, the stock was reserved and plans were made for installation.
The installation and photoshoot took place on a crisp sunny day in mid-September 2021. The van was loaded with all of the furniture, lighting, accessories, tools and photography equipment and we set off just after sunrise. We arrived late morning at the idyllic rural Essex location on the outskirts of Chelmsford. The property was a large modern barn conversion, set in spacious grounds with well-equipped outdoor living areas including a swimming pool - shimmering with personalised sequin decoration and a fabulous white horse statue clutching a mirror ball in its teeth. Fortunately, parking was plentiful, allowing us ample space for our cars and van and good access to the property.
The creative team got to work positioning equipment for photography and time-lapse video recording whilst the crew unpacked the van and assembled the furniture.
The installation process and time-lapse video recording were swift and successful, and final photography was produced. We packed up and left around midday pleased to hear that Gemma was very happy with the finished result.
Alveare
Hexagonal brass wall mirror
Alveare
Hexagonal brass wall shelf
Claridge
Sculptural blush pink armchair, brass finish
Tropical Blush No. 1
Large scale wall art, black frame
Tropical Blush No. 2
Large scale wall art, black frame
Mantis
Dining chair in blush pink, brass finish
Morantz
Statement floor light, brass finish
Morantz
Statement table light, brass finish
Otto
Brass desk, featuring glass shelving
Panatella
Elegant brass side table
Verdell
Large circular rug, 100% wool
