We are proud of our history, heritage, and achievements, while also always looking to the future. Take a look at some key dates in the Beaumont & Fletcher story below.
Our story begins in 1970s London, when our founder John Crowell spent his teenage years among the traders at the Portobello Road Market.
Relishing the buzz of the market and its Aladdin’s cave atmosphere, it was here that he began buying, selling, and honing his passion for furniture restoration.
John’s first restored piece was an elegant rosewood Regency daybed, suffering from mildew and neglect. Under the watchful eye of a retired master upholsterer, he spent a fruitful summer stripping down and lovingly rebuilding it, restoring it to its former glory.
Taking his passion for beautiful furniture to the next level, John founded Beaumont & Fletcher in 1989. Inspired by the creativity and flair of two successful 17th century playwrights, Francis Beaumont and John Fletcher, the company’s name was born. Combining time-honoured traditional craftsmanship and classically-inspired designs, John’s vision was for Beaumont & Fletcher to be dramatic, theatrical, technically-excellent designers and purveyors of bespoke furniture built to last a lifetime.
In 1990, we launched our first fabrics collection. With designs inspired by the intricate and delicate detailing of Regency and Georgian antiques, these fabrics soon came to embody the look and feel of our brand; quietly confident and beautifully distinguished, our fabrics have graced country mansions and furnished elegant townhouses for almost 30 years.
At Beaumont & Fletcher we have never shied away from drawing inspiration from a bygone age of talent and mastery – which is how our now iconic Pompadour sofa came to life in 1994.
We based the traditional antique frame on an early 19th century neoclassical design with clean, unfussy lines and deep, soft cushions. Handmade in the UK by master craftsmen using traditional time-honoured techniques, this graceful sofa became an overnight bestseller, and has since become our signature model.
In 1995 we introduced mirrors and lights into our repertoire. Honouring the original pieces was paramount; our master craftsmen paid homage by lovingly recreating their historic forms in small specialist workshops in Italy.
Using only the finest materials, we brought these antique inspired lights and mirrors back to life with the softest touch, revealing their understated luxury and hand gilding. Each one we create is a beautiful statement piece in its own right, and can sit comfortably next to real antiques.
In the summer of 1998, we established our home at number 261 Fulham Road, Chelsea. We wanted a residence with the space and light to showcase our full collection, a place that would welcome our customers.
To this day, the coffee at number 261 is always hot and fresh, the fire on cold days always lit, and the welcome into the world of Beaumont & Fletcher always warm and true. Visit us for your chance to see and touch the fabrics, get comfortable on our luxurious furniture, and browse our collections at leisure.
When our most expensive fabric design became a bestseller, we knew there was a demand for truly luxurious fabrics. In 2003, John took us to the next level by creating our Couture Collection.
This gorgeous and unique collection is embroidered by hand, using shimmering threads and jewels to create almost three-dimensional fabrics, and delivers unprecedented opulence and luxury to homes across the world.
We wanted equally beautiful plain fabrics to complement our Couture Collection. So, in 2009, we launched Como and Capri, our Silk Velvets collections. The Como is an exquisite chine silk velvet with immense depth and movement, while the Capri silk velvet is rich and opulent, making it perfect for our Couture embroidery.
Our beautiful silk velvets are expertly weaved in specialised Italian mills by craftsmen whose expertise is passed down through generations, from silks that are dyed by hand to achieve a palette of subtle colours for which we have become renowned.
In 2010, we made our cushions available straight from our showroom. Our customers can walk in and view the full extensive and beautiful collection, carefully edited to inspire interiors with a signature finish.
We can also make them to order, entirely bespoke and gorgeously hand embroidered with silk threads, seed pearls, and semiprecious stones.
The Double Headed Eagle is the most dominating symbol of Russian aristocracy, and we were asked to embroider this iconic and grand emblem for the 2012 film adaptation of Anna Karenina. It played a key role in the lavish and intricate set for this visually stunning film, and was instrumental in transporting the viewer into Anna’s world.
We continue to create exquisite and intricate pieces for films including Pirates of the Caribbean, Beauty & the Beast, and Aladdin.
In 2014, we launched our contemporary collection of luxurious upholstered furniture, including the stylish Edgar sofa.
Carefully designed to create an elegant and more contemporary shape, the Edgar is an example of our approach to modern design whilst preserving the traditional craft and techniques of British handmade furniture. The Edgar swiftly became a star piece in the collection, and has been beloved ever since.
In 2016, John very sadly passed away. The directorship of Beaumont & Fletcher passed to Jana Durisova, who had honed her expertise working alongside John for over a decade and continued his passion for fine designs.
Combining a natural optimism with a keen-eyed technical approach formed in her early studies of architecture and hydraulic engineering, Jana’s motto is “anything is possible”, an ethos she brings to both the business and design aspects of her role.
Sleek and linear in its appearance, with a fragmented geometric character, we simply couldn’t resist including the sheer luxury, glamour and modernity of the Art Deco period in our portfolio.
In 2017, we introduced this vibrant design into our embroideries and furniture, accompanied by a bold and confident colour palette.
In 2019, we’re celebrating 30 years of success, luxury and excellence with the launch of our new signature fabric, the Lawrence. Taking inspiration from the cheetahs in our unique logo, combined with original sketches by our late founder John Lawrence Crowell, we created this exquisite
Georgian-inspired design.
The noble cheetahs, affectionately known as Lenny and Benny, prowl elegantly through the twirling scrolls and tassels in this inspirational weave. The intricate design is offset with a soft subtle sheen and tactile yet robust finish. It is a testament to Beaumont & Fletcher’s legacy of producing British-made, beautifully designed, and lovingly crafted textiles with a truly individual style.
As we celebrate thirty years of creativity and quality we look forward to the next chapters at Beaumont & Fletcher. We will continue to draw our inspiration from the world of antiquity as well as embracing a more contemporary aesthetic that will be both timeless and considered. Our continuing legacy will be to design and make, the most beautiful, comfortable and elegant pieces – each one, be it a cushion, chair, light or couture fabric will be individually handcrafted in the traditional way with uncompromising artistry and style.
