Inside Furniture Fusion: Sam Samuels on 25 Years of Creativity, Collaboration, and Design Excellence in Hospitality

Sam Samuels, Managing Director of Furniture Fusion, has been at the forefront of the hospitality furniture industry since the company’s launch in 2000. With a clear vision to blend aesthetics and functionality, Sam has worked tirelessly to position Furniture Fusion as a leading supplier of innovative and design-led furniture for hotels, restaurants, and bars across the UK and Europe. What began as a small operation has evolved into a creative powerhouse that thrives on collaboration and a deep understanding of the industry.

In this conversation, Sam shares three key insights into the company’s philosophy and approach: the importance of creative collaboration with designers, how the team draws inspiration from art, architecture, and culture, and the pride they take in managing every step of the process, from design to delivery, as a creative endeavour.

What role does creative collaboration play in Furniture Fusion’s approach to projects?

Creative collaboration is at the heart of what we do, and the human element is an essential component of every successful project for Furniture Fusion.

How did Furniture Fusion’s journey begin, and how has the company evolved since its early days?

From our earliest days starting out in 2000, we’ve always wanted to make a real impact on the projects we work on, and to be part of the creative team rather than just taking orders for furniture. We learned the language of the designers we were surrounded with, and absorbed all we could about how they worked, understanding how a hotel works, how a restaurant works and how our furniture fits into the wider operation.

Hotel Indigo, Newcastle

What drives Furniture Fusion’s approach to projects, and how do creative forces influence your team?

This is what drives us: we’re surrounded by creative forces and being aware of these helps us appreciate what’s around us and informs our approach to projects. Various threads of inspiration weave together – one of the team might have seen a striking shape in architecture that would work on an upholstered piece. Another might see stitching on an item of clothing, or the way two colours have been combined on a pair of trainers. Cover art for a new album could spark an idea for a bespoke bar stool, or a scene in a favourite book could suggest a fabric or finish to give a piece that certain edge.

Aspers Casino

How do you collaborate with designers and operators in the hospitality industry?

We talk to designers and operators every day, listening and learning, suggesting different approaches and always looking for a better option – a way to deliver a project with personality. Our campaign for last year’s HIX event was a great example of this – we asked three design studios to collaborate with us, to curate and create something special, rather than just filling our stand with a selection of new products from our collection. Each studio gave their perspective on design for hospitality, documented their creative process, and explored how we work together to bring interiors to life – the end result was fantastic, and so was the journey getting there.

Furniture Fusion stand at HIX 2023

Can you share some insights into the innovative thinking that goes into creating bespoke pieces for events like HIX?

Some really innovative thinking went into the bespoke pieces that we produced for the event, and we were incredibly proud of the whole project. This year we’re doing something different again, driven by our love of music. It’s another truly collaborative process as we bring together ideas, influences, and inspirations from our team and the design studio. Inviting guests to share the finished installation with us is an exciting element and one that we think will spark further creative conversations.

How important is the supply chain in the process of delivering your furniture projects?

It’s not just about working with designers though – connecting with the whole supply chain is important to me and the rest of the team. We want to understand how our furniture will be used, where the timber comes from and how it’s produced, to find fabrics that will look great and perform well, managing the production and installation to keep things running smoothly behind the scenes and more.

Furniture Fusion bespoke design at HIX 2023

Does the creative process at Furniture Fusion end once the design is signed off?

Our connection and collaboration doesn’t stop when the designs are signed off and production is underway. We see the delivering and managing of our orders as a creative process in itself, and it’s something of which we’re fiercely proud.

After almost 25 years in business, what keeps you motivated and inspired in the industry?

After almost 25 years in business, I’m still excited by what we do and motivated to keep driving our best work. It’s a great industry and there are so many opportunities – working with creative, interesting people every day and making those connections is what inspires me.

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