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Featured, Furniture · April 27, 2016

Introducing the Brand New Limited Edition Britannia Range by DFS

DFS limited edition BritanniaLast week I took a trip with some blogger colleagues to Derbyshire for a glimpse behind the scenes at DFS and in particular to view their stunning, brand new limited edition range of furniture called ‘Britannia’ which launches today!

‘What’s so special about this collection?’ I hear you ask.  Well, apart from the sheer level of craftsmanship, which I shall go into shortly, the range is specially created for Team GB athletes competing at this year’s Olympic Games in Rio.  As the official homeware partner for Team GB, DFS recognised the importance of athletes resting between competitions and wanted to ensure they could relax in complete comfort during their down time.  Hence the Britannia range was created and will feature in the headquarters of Team GB over in Rio this summer.

The other great thing about this Team GB/DFS partnership is that you don’t have to be an Olympic athlete to enjoy this furniture!  It will be available for the public to purchase (in a four, three or two seater sofa, accent chair and footstool) during the next six months only.  Just imagine the thrill of watching the Games from the comfort of your brand new Britannia sofa or chair, cheering on Team GB!

DFS Living room styling

On our press trip we got to see these pieces being made on the production line.  It was fascinating to watch and I was amazed at the amount of skilled hand-crafting that goes into them.  Because DFS is a large, well known company that sells huge amounts of furniture, I imagined that everything would be made by machine, but that’s not the case.  Of course there is cutting machinery, but a great deal of hand building and finishing goes on – and not forgetting the team of talented machinists who manage to make intricate sewing look easy.  I’m sure it isn’t!

What I also learned about DFS is that every piece of furniture is made to order and can be turned around in approximately three weeks, which is pretty impressive, and the Britannia range in particular demands the sort of attention to detail that can only be performed by skilled furniture makers and upholsterers.

Firstly the top quality ply and Scandinavian wood frame is enveloped in layers of comfy foam and padding, before being upholstered in a beautiful fabric, specially created for this project in collaboration with UK furnishing and upholstery experts, Art of the Loom.  It’s a viscose-linen blend with characteristic natural slubs, giving each and every piece of furniture its own individuality.

DFS Buttonholing detail

The buttoned back is extremely intricate to create that diamond effect and the brass studded detailing is hand applied.  These details finish off the range exquisitely, as do the gorgeous turned oak feet, brass castors and handmade gold buttons.

Brass stud detailing DFS

DFS Britannia Sofa

This furniture really does ooze class and style and cleverly manages to look timeless yet modern.

After our factory tour, I was excited to visit the DFS Design Studio to discover the thought processes behind the design and understand all the stages of production from initial sketches to building a prototype, before the final finished piece hits the DFS showroom or lands in Rio.

I was not disappointed; the design studio was a lovely light and bright creative space where we got to meet DFS Design Director, Philip Watkins plus Art of the Loom owner, Andrew Thornber who has worked extremely closely with DFS on this project and many others.  It was great to hear them speak passionately about their work and also to catch a glimpse of their other collaborations and latest inspiration mood boards while we were there, too.

Mood board

DFS Design
(Country Living collaboration)

But of course the main talking point was the Britannia range.  I loved looking at the concept board and learning how the Philip and his colleagues decided to take an iconic Chesterfield and give it an eclectic-modern twist, with a gently dipping back and that linen-blend upholstery rather than traditional leather.  The handmade gold buttons, turned oak feet and brass castors are stunning embellishments that add more than a touch of luxury – whilst the brass studs are an inspired finishing touch, with a special story of their own: every accent chair features 233 gold studs, each representing one of the gold medals Team GB has won in Summer Olympic Games to date.  Such a thoughtful detail!

Britannia sofa design DFSThe accompanying sofa cushions are equally unique.  When we talk of Team GB, we tend to think of the Union Jack emblem, so the design team worked it subtly into scatter cushions:

Britannia Armchair DFS Limited EditionI also love the Olympic design of this fabric, again created in partnership with Art of the Loom, for another sofa cushion:

Team GB Cushion

What I admire most about the design of the Britannia range is that it is so versatile; I think it would suit a classic period property or a more modern home equally.  It would also look amazing in an industrial loft space!

Chesterfield sofa DFS

Before the day was finished, the other bloggers (Jen @ Love Chic Living, Victoria @ Apartment No. 4, Anneli @ Anneli Bush, Jess @ The Only Girl in the House and Jaclyn @ Bumpkin Betty) and I all got the chance to be a bit more ‘hands on’ and have a go at some upholstery, on our very own chairs!  DFS are kindly gifting each of us an accent chair as a souvenir of our visit, so I can’t wait to see it in my home when it arrives – look out for that!  It was extremely satisfying work, I can tell you – operating a powered staple gun was great fun and so absorbing.  But hammering in those brass studs in a straight line was harder than you might think…

Upholstering

People say you can’t buy class, but with the Britannia I believe you can.  Not only that, you can grab yourself a little piece of Olympic Games memorabilia, since every piece carries a special stitched plaque on the back – the first DFS furniture range to carry such a badge.  The quality and craftsmanship truly celebrates and reflects the excellence, dedication and hard work of Team GB – what a fitting tribute and a Great British Partnership.

Huge thanks to DFS for their hospitality and inviting me to be a part of this inspiring day!

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© Copyright 2016 Antonia, All rights Reserved. Written For: Tidylife

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Posted By: Antonia · In: Featured, Furniture

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Comments

  1. Sue says

    April 27, 2016 at 2:45 pm

    These look like real classic pieces! Sounds like a brilliant trip
    Sue recently posted…Frog Manchester ~ Flower WorkshopMy Profile

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  2. Molly says

    April 27, 2016 at 4:41 pm

    I love the fabric with the swimmers and bicycles on – very clever design and very British (I prefer it to the union jack fabric). Looks like you had a very interesting tour – I’m always amazed at the work that goes into a sofa when you see behind the scenes, though I’ve never had a go myself (good job, there would be wonky lines of studs!) Thanks for sharing x
    Molly recently posted…Make Yourself At Home – Part 2My Profile

    Reply
  3. Jen says

    April 27, 2016 at 7:19 pm

    Beautiful photos Antonia, and a great write up x
    Jen recently posted…DFS Launches Limited Edition Britannia Collection with TeamGBMy Profile

    Reply
  4. Rachel @ The Ordinary Lovely says

    April 27, 2016 at 8:44 pm

    I’ve just read Jen post, too, and as much as I like looking at interiors, it’s brilliant to see behind the scenes as well. I love knowing how things are made and how amazing to see the craftspeople at work?!!
    Rachel @ The Ordinary Lovely recently posted…A happy homeMy Profile

    Reply
  5. Rachel Newcombe says

    April 28, 2016 at 1:33 pm

    That must have been fascinating to be able to see sofas being made. It sounds like they have quite a quick turnaround time, too.

    Reply
  6. geraldine says

    April 29, 2016 at 7:26 am

    I couldn’t go but great to see the images here. x
    geraldine recently posted…LG Music Flow sound systemMy Profile

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Hello! I'M ANTONIA I launched Tidylife to provide interior, garden & lifestyle inspiration. Love home decor and budget friendly improvements? Me too! You'll find them all here. Plus decorating, styling & upcycling ideas. I also love to share fitness, fashion & beauty features, so I hope you enjoy visiting Tidylife.

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