It’s 2018 and we are continuing to get to know the companies we work with. The first Q+A of this year is with RHA Furniture, a company we have worked with on several projects over the years.
How would you sum up your company in three words?
Professional, Personal, Experienced
How long has the company been established and how long have you been working for them?
The Company was started by my Father in 1990 and became LTD in 1994. I worked for him 11 years ago for 4 years and have recently re- joined in September 2016
What is your role at the company?
Sales & Marketing Director is my main role but as I am due to take over when my father retires, I also am involved in many of the day to day responsibilities involved in running the Company.
What is the best part of the job?
Meeting with Interior Designers at plan stage and seeing the project evolve to finally seeing the furniture in situ.
Do you have a best-selling product?
No not really as we have so much to offer and more and more items are made bespoke to designer’s specifications
Where have you been most proud of seeing your brand in-situ?
Conrad Algarve which still looks perfect 5 years after installation
What has the most influence over your product design / selection?
Reliability and performance
Do you have a favourite new product this year?
Shima, it’s cute, modern and would enhance any hotel lobby or breakout area
How do you promote your brand to make sure it stays in the mind of your buyers/consumers?
We send a mailout called “Must Have Monday” (every Monday funny enough!) to our client base with products we have spotted or are new to us which keeps designers up to date with new trends, designs and what’s new on the market. Along with our Facebook page and Instagram account regularly being updated with either new products or project news.
Are there brands in the industry that you admire, what makes them great?
There are many Italian suppliers but Porada is an Interior Designer’s dream in design pieces but sadly hardly ever falls within budget. Their eye for detail and quality of materials is beyond any other.
The design calendar seems to grow every year. Do you have a favourite interiors/design exhibition?
We love attending Sleep and seeing what is inspiring everyone and meeting new and old faces, along with the Annual BCFA event held at the Dorchester which is always a good get together of the industry.
How much travel is involved with your job, do you have a favourite country to visit? Why do you enjoy it?
I travel to our partner factory in Portugal quite a lot and visit there with clients. Porto is wonderful and not only supplies us with great furniture but offers amazing food and wine, so not a bad factory visit! I also attend Milan each year for the trade show Salone di Mobil which is tiring but always a pleasure to visit.
How do you see your company evolving over the next few years? Do you have any plans you can share with us?
RHA is a well-established business within the industry but I want to nurture and grow it and keep it current with the ever-changing demands of the industry. Relationship with our clients is key, so I intend to offer more factory visits to them, as this always gives them greater confidence in giving us the complete package. Looking after the staff we have as they are excellent, as well as adding in new team members to support them which enables us to maintain the standard of personal service we offer.
How important is it to be able to offer furniture styles across the spectrum rather than a signature style? Your recent projects at the W Hotel and Champneys Spa are so different!
This is what makes RHA stand out in the industry – we offer all the standard items which are on the market but also offer bespoke upholstery pieces along with bespoke specialist joinery – so we really can be the solution for the complete project. As you can see the styles can vary considerably so you never get bored with what we can offer and from working with us. From very traditional items used at Champneys where a lot of hand crafted joinery and brass was used, to the W Hotel where many funky and modern pieces were integrated into the scheme.
You’ve celebrated over 25yrs in business, what’s your secret?
Offering an excellent level of service which is personal – many of our clients have been with us since the start!
We loved your Movember pictures on Instagram. Are there other causes you get involved in as a company?
Yes we support a local charity called CW+ which raises money for the local children’s hospital and some of the team members at RHA are offering to do a skydive next year also! Last year we also did the Peter Kays Discothon, which was great fun and raised over £1500 for Cancer Research.
Many thanks for taking the time to answer our questions Liese! It’s been great learning more about RHA Furniture.
For more information on RHA Furniture please visit their website www.rhafurniture.com
