The name George Smith needs little introduction: the British furniture brand is synonymous with quality craftsmanship, and has become a go-to for interior designers and customers looking for exceptional upholstered pieces made from the best sustainable materials. Not content with producing the finest furniture crafted by the largest team of craftspeople in the UK, George Smith has also developed a host of long-standing relationships with top interior designers who share its commitment to sustainability and ‘buying British’. One such interior design studio is Sims Hilditch, with which George Smith has just launched a capsule collection of three highly covetable pieces. The Sims Hilditch expertise, which is usually reserved for clients of the studio, has been translated into the ‘Emma Sofa’, ‘Emma Chair’ and ‘Emma Ottoman’ for everyone to enjoy.
This collection is the culmination of a long-standing relationship between the two companies, underpinned by a shared commitment to British craftsmanship, quality and sustainable yet comfortable furniture. Emma Sims-Hilditch, the studio’s founder and creative director after whom the new George Smith pieces are named, never sacrifices comfort for the sake of style — she is a designer who finds the most elegant pieces for every room and ensures that they are of the utmost enveloping loveliness. It is for this reason that Emma has so often looked to George Smith over the years when creating her modern take on the cosy country-house look, using not only the brand’s furniture but its fabrics, too. The Sims Hilditch collection for George Smith was therefore a natural collaboration for both brands, and serves as a wonderful celebration of their shared vision.
Designed by Emma and produced in the UK by George Smith, the pieces, like all fine heritage furniture, are designed to last a lifetime before being passed on through the generations. The frames of the ‘Emma’ pieces come with a 25-year guarantee and are tailor-made to each order, their forms designed to transcend trends. ‘We wanted to create an elegant, timeless collection that would work well in both city and country homes as well as in hospitality establishments such as members’ clubs and hotels,’ the George Smith team explains, with Emma adding, ‘At Sims Hilditch we aim to create interiors that are timeless, elegant, and built to last. For this reason, we usually try to steer clear of trends, which change with the season. Instead, our focus is on quality.’
There are three pieces in the Sims Hilditch collection – a sofa, an armchair and an ottoman – with more than 300 fabrics to choose from for the upholstery. The sofa is the first of its kind for George Smith, with a sumptuous pillow back. There is a sleigh-like quality to the design, giving it an almost whimsical air, with its gently sloping and curvaceous form – ideal for curling up with a good book, or simply watching the fire on a cold winter’s evening. Equally elegant yet cocooning is the armchair, which would just as happily sit in a stately home or a country cottage as it would a city townhouse or flat.
‘We believe that inspirational interiors require exceptional furniture, crafted and tailored for ultimate luxury; this collection embodies those principles,’ says Amanda Barrett of George Smith. For both brands, the idea of buying British and supporting the craft industry here is of utmost importance. Indeed, Emma has first-hand experience of just how long such British-made pieces can last, as she is now the custodian of her grandmother’s original George Smith sofa, which has been passed down through the family.
The inspiration behind the collection was, suitably, the rolling hills of the British countryside, evident not only in the forms of the pieces and the overall style of the collection, but in the fabric choices, too. ‘The photoshoot was designed to reflect our love of nature,’ explains Emma, ‘so we chose floral linens and tactile wools to launch the collection.’ The collection – which offers a rare chance to own an Emma Sims Hilditch-designed piece – launches on October 11, and is available to view now in the George Smith King’s Road showroom, the Sims Hilditch studio or online at georgesmith.com. The mere sight of the pieces is sure to make a lasting impression – but take a seat and you will experience the skill and love that has gone into the creation of each piece, rendering the collection impossible to resist.
Discover the Sims-Hilditch x George Smith designer collection at www.georgesmith.com
