Being not much more than twenty miles away from Scotland’s first design museum is exciting for the team at The Original Chair Company, and not just because it has been branded as “ the living room”!
Unbeknown to many, Dundee has been the centre of design, innovation and creativity since the start of the 19th century and as fabrics are the core of our business, it’s important to remember that the city was the centre for the Jute and Linen Industry, being the world’s largest manufacturer at the start of the 19th century.
What has followed has been comic books, video games and the first Unesco City of Design status in the U.K.in 2014. The fact Japanese architect Kengo Kuma made the decision to build his first permanent building in Britain in Dundee, in the form of the V&A building, proves that it is a hub of creativity and a hotbed of design.
The exhibitions at the museum will vary, but permanent ones include The Scottish Design Galleries ranging from architecture, fashion, furniture and collections of art and textiles from private sources. If this isn’t enough for interior design enthusiasts special attention has also been paid to inside the building itself. The reference to it being the city’s living room has derived from it being a place to relax in the middle of the city and taking it slightly further the rooms have been designed so that they can be rooms that feel as if they are “living”. Materials, furnishings and fittings have all been carefully thought through to achieve this aim, something we appreciate and admire here at The Original Chair Company.
As a company who works hard to deliver bespoke interior design solutions and work creatively with clients, this is inspiring and it is encouraging that this sort of design and interior focus, is making headlines on our doorstep. While restoring a full Charles Rennie Mackintosh room with furniture and oak flooring that has been in storage for 70 years (a planned exhibition to feature at the museum), is possibly a bit beyond The Original Chair Company, at this stage anyway! We understand the care and love that restoring and renovation projects require. Our antique furniture and reupholstery projects may not have been in storage that long, or be as grand, but the respect for the process is just the same.
We wish the teams at the V&A Dundee every success and can’t wait to visit.
The Original Chair Company is a creative interior design and furniture restoration company based in Perth. Our aim is to offer bespoke services and work directly and creatively with clients to achieve high quality designs and beautiful furnishings.
