Clive Christian Furniture’s kitchens are found in beautiful homes across the globe, from Nantwich to New York
Clive Christian had no formal training in interior design, but came to it through a more evolutionary direction, working on various projects for other people before striking out on his own.
His ‘big break’ came with his ground-breaking take on kitchen design. When Clive was first starting out, in the late 1970’s, kitchens were still an almost wholly utilitarian area. Clive was working in big country houses, but the kitchens were disproportionately small. He would knock down walls and seek to create a glamorous space, but really struggled to find the furniture or manufacturers of furniture to fill the space. In the end, he decided it would be simpler to do it all himself, bought a local firm and the rest, as they say, is history.
In an interview with Cheshire Life in 2017, Clive said: “It was a big jump for me and the result was that the world beat a path to my door.” It did indeed. Forty years later, and now under new leadership, designs from Clive Christian Furniture grace beautiful homes from Moscow to Malibu, Prestbury to Paris – and it’s not all about kitchens. The company’s designs translate beautifully into every room in the home – bedrooms, dining rooms, hallways, home offices.
If you want something utterly beautiful, bespoke built just for you, you know who to call.
Classically innovative
Clive Christian Furniture is best recognised for its distinctive, classic kitchen design, known as the Architectural range, which features the iconic huge central island, pilasters and detail on the cabinetry. But in no way has this supressed a love of innovation and desire to lead from the front when it comes to kitchen trends.
Indeed, the company was one of the first to use a grey colour palette (now widely seen in kitchens across the land) and their Huxley kitchen features a metallic blue island - taking colour blocking to new heights.
Contemporary – the Clive Christian Furniture way
Not all homes can carry off a classic Architectural kitchen; but that doesn’t mean you can’t have a Clive Christian kitchen.
Here, modernist clean lines and sleek white cabinetry contrast the feature walnut mantle, where a master craftsman has hand-set art-deco style marquetry featuring the famous Napier-Railton race car, in English oak, chestnut and ash veneers. The client requested something to reflect their love for British motor racing, and Clive Christian Furniture most certainly rose to the challenge.
Working from home
The beauty of bespoke-build design is that the concept can be expanded into any room in the home. Here, in collaboration with Aspire Luxury Properties who designed this beautiful study, Clive Christian Furniture was tasked with hand crafting the architectural wall panelling. The bold black walnut panelling blends seamlessly with the custom shelving and works beautifully with the Georgian-style windows. Here’s a touch of fun: a secret door, disguised as a bookcase, leads through to a private bar, à la Prohibition era.
Who lives in a room like this?
There are few people who don’t dream of a walk-in dressing room. Like kitchens, a dressing room needs to be designed to safely store and offer immediate access to a myriad of pieces, from large to very small. As well as hanging rails, the stylish woman – and, of course, man - needs space for shoes, belts, bags, scarves and all types of accessories. And if you can personalise with a monogram, why wouldn’t you? And please don’t forget a glazed walnut display case for a white silk wedding dress or Savile Row suit... This is truly the stuff that dreams are made of.
Bathroom bliss
On the other side of the world, above the bustling streets of North Chicago, is a luxury penthouse that could be described as the epitome of upscale living – you just need to glance at this stunning bathroom to confirm that. The room’s practical elements, such as the wall mounted ‘floating’ double sink unit and a large bath, work harmoniously with stylised mirrored pilasters, rich walnut and, yes, you guessed it, monogramed cabinetry. The bathroom is a place of escape, of relaxation and restoration – it’s easy to see that every box is beautifully ticked here.
clivechristianfurniture.com 3-5 Pillory Street, Nantwich, Chehsire, CW5 5BZ
