Harrods launches an in-house furniture collection with Porada

Harrods furniture including a chair in dark grey and sofa in light grey with furnishings.

Harrods has launched its inaugural in-house furniture line, designed in collaboration with Italian brand Porada

(Image credit: TBC)

last updated 30 July 2022

Luxury heritage department store Harrods has been retailing furniture since the 1880s. Starting with cots and beds, it has developed an elegant library featuring the likes of design stalwarts Vitra, Gubi and B&B Italia; but now, for the first time, the British brand is launching its very own in-house furniture line.

Under the Harrods of London brand, the store has long been creating womenswear, menswear and luxury linens imbued with its own aesthetic. It is now growing this with the inaugural furniture launch, created in collaboration with Italian brand Porada and British upholsterers Artistic.

A photo of the Harrods’ Carraway Drinks Cabinet. — Harrods' Carraway Drinks Cabinet

‘Designing a furniture collection in-house was the next step after the re-launch of Harrods Home four years ago,’ says Annalise Fard, director of home at Harrods. ‘We wanted to create a range which we could truly trust the quality of – and saw no better way to achieve this than working with two of our longest standing partners.’

The unique collaboration with Porada was an interesting choice. Working from the beginning on the initial design concepts, the Italian company sought to stay authentic to the materials used. ‘We wanted to combine artisanal craftsmanship with advanced processes; to treat the raw materials with the utmost respect,’ says Porada’s Mauro Nastri.

The range of sofas, tables, cabinetry and upholstery harks back to Harrods’ 1930s heritage, with accents of ziricote, maple and sycamore for the deep woods, combined with satin brass to allude to art deco influences. Marble features also enhance the collection's decadence, particularly in the statement ‘Sayre’ console.

The quality is undeniable, and further heightens the design cachet Harrods has been developing over the years. 'I think the real synergy between Porada and Harrods is the love of quality and the emphasis placed on respect for natural materials,’ stresses Nastri. Wallpaper* itself has collaborated with the store, showing designs from the annual Wallpaper* Handmade expo in its windows. In recent years, Harrods has become a destination during the London Design Festival, all the while hosting exclusive design collaborations and coveted pop-ups.

A side-on shot of a large dining table with white crockery and four low-back dining chairs. — The collection harks back to the British brand's 1930s heritage with art deco influences marking the pieces. Pictured, 'Ellington' dining table with 'Fielding' armchairs

Left: a photo of a white marble side table with four inward pointing brown legs. Right: a photo of the Carraway drinks cabinet — Left, 'Sayre' console. Right, 'Carraway' drinks cabinet

INFORMATION

For more information, visit the Harrods website

Sujata Burman is a writer and editor based in London, specialising in design and culture. She was Digital Design Editor at Wallpaper* before moving to her current role of Head of Content at London Design Festival and London Design Biennale where she is expanding the content offering of the showcases. Over the past decade, Sujata has written for global design and culture publications, and has been a speaker, moderator and judge for institutions and brands including RIBA, D&AD, Design Museum and Design Miami/. In 2019, she co-authored her first book, An Opinionated Guide to London Architecture, published by Hoxton Mini Press, which was driven by her aim to make the fields of design and architecture accessible to wider audiences.