Designer
Julian Chichester, whose namesake
line of furniture is celebrating its 35th anniversary with
a capsule collection.
Photo: Jon Day, Courtesy of Julian Chichester
Julian Chichester Introduces a Special Anniversary Capsule Collection
To commemorate the brand’s 35th year, its eponymous founder revised reimagined four archival designs
Felix nesting tables, part of Julian Chichester’s 35th anniversary capsule collection. Photo: Anders Gramer Photography, Courtesy of Julian Chichester
The furniture designs of Julian Chichester are as varied as they are imaginative: dressing tables wrapped in vibrant teal vellum, bar cabinets sheathed in pink lacquer, and drink trolleys glistening with églomisé shelves. This year, to commemorate the brand’s 35th anniversary, its eponymous founder has delved into the rich archives to assemble a four-piece capsule collection. “Looking back is a nice thing to do,” says Chichester.
One of his earliest designs, the Anglo Indian chest, made its American debut in an ebonized black finish with gold details in 1999. “It’s just a piece I was very fond of that I thought when we brought it up to date would work very well,” says the designer, who still lives with the original inspiration in his home in Beaulieu, England. Based on an 18th-century shape, the low-lying set of drawers now glows in an oiled African walnut with gold hardware.
Designer Julian Chichester, whose namesake line of furniture is celebrating its 35th anniversary with a capsule collection. Photo: Jon Day, Courtesy of Julian Chichester
Also resurrected for the anniversary is the Kemp desk. First conceived in the early aughts for a Firmdale Hotels property in London, it’s reimagined in a French limed oak finish, which was inspired by a vintage piece Chichester discovered in an antiques market. The Felix nesting tables, too, were revamped. Their original powder-coated metal and goatskin vellum tops were updated with a beautiful cane-wrapped design. “It’s become a completely new piece of furniture,” he says. “It’s incredibly simple, quite understated but fun.”
The Anglo Indian chest, one of the four pieces included in the Julian Chichester 35 Years capsule collection. Photo: Anders Gramer Photography, Courtesy of Julian Chichester
Revisiting earlier work has been an eye-opening experience for the designer. “It’s a shame when you look back through the catalogues at some of the things that look quite dated now purely because of the finish. You can change a piece so dramatically by using the same drawings, the same shape, and just changing the materials,” reflects Chichester, who hints at more reintroductions on the horizon. “This whole process has definitely sparked something.”
A version of this article first appeared in print in our 2024 Summer Issue under the headline “Classic Twist.” Subscribe to the magazine.
Cover: Designer
Julian Chichester, whose namesake
line of furniture is celebrating its 35th anniversary with
a capsule collection.
Photo: Jon Day, Courtesy of Julian Chichester
