INTERIOR-iD Journal 5 by INTERIOR-iD

Journal 5

Above: Snapshot of our material library from our Notting Hill studio.

Cover image: Detail of a woven metal mesh in copper and anthracite coloured metal threads.

Credits Interview and Content by Gail Rolfe Design by INTERIOR-iD Photography by Matt Livey, Alexander James, Julian Abrams, Marko Grzunov Next Page: 77 Mayfair by LUXLO, designed by Martin Kemp Design 02

I am delighted to welcome you to the fifth edition of INTERIOR-iD’s Journal 2019. Over the next forty pages, you will discover all the latest news from INTERIOR-iD, and learn about several of the prestigious companies that we have had the pleasure to work with during the last couple of years. I hope that this latest edition will be as fascinating for you, as it was for us to write. Let us fire your imagination, inspire you, and hopefully entrance you from the beginning to the end. I am really proud to be able to say that our business is going from strength to strength in so many ways. Aside from the increasing size of the business and the number of inspirational projects we are currently working on, the true story is about our highly talented team in London and the uniquely skilled craftsmen who work behind the scenes in Austria. In order to thrive in the international bespoke luxury residential sector, it is imperative to exceed expectations in the three main areas: Product, Management and Design. Our regular ‘Behind the scenes’ feature (pages 30-35), will reveal how we have mastered these criteria to an extraordinary level throughout our family history, where craftsmanship has been seamlessly combined with innovative manufacturing techniques. On these pages, we also explain our newly incorporated group structure, known as The Radaschitz Group. In addition, we have included an insightful interview with INTERIOR-iD’s Joint Managing Directors, Thomas Telser and Sam Walker (see pages 10-13), where they explain how they manage a team of experts while maintaining the core values of excellence, innovation and authenticity that are at the heart of our business. We certainly couldn’t exist, or even grow, without the trust of our valued clients and professional partners in the prime residential sector. In this issue, I feel honoured to feature several inspirational profiles. On pages 06-09, you will discover a fascinating article about Sophie Ashby of Studio Ashby who is one of London’s most talked-about, young interior designers. Pages 14-17 tell the heart-warming story of how Liam Birch, Managing Director of LDB Construction, established his business in this country. His company ethos and leadership principles resonate with our family business philosophy, which is naturally why we love working with Liam’s highly skilled team of builders. Luxury property developer, Clivedale, has become an important name within the London prime sector over the past years. Read more about their burgeoning success in London on pages 24-27. We couldn’t miss the opportunity to feature #mrsuperprime Daniel Daggers, the luxury Real Estate Advisor at Knight Frank. Read his Quickfire answers on pages 36-37. Last, but not least, on pages 28-31, we have written about how LANSERRING, our dedicated kitchen brand, has quickly established itself as a respected name among a discerning clientele worldwide.

Contents

Studio Ashby INTERIOR-iD LDB Construction Case Study Clivedale Lanserring Behind the scenes Quickfire

We hope you enjoy reading this latest issue, Bernd Radaschitz Co-Founder & Director, INTERIOR-iD CEO, The Radaschitz Group

06 10 14 18 24 28 32 36

INTERIOR DESIGNER PROFILE â&#x20AC;&#x201D;

Studio Ashby

Sophie Ashby, Founder, Studio Ashby

A nomadic childhood split between South Africa and the English countryside, an inherent passion for art, and a sprinkling of the enterprising spirit inherited from her parents, almost certainly equipped 31-year-old Sophie Ashby with an unerring design aesthetic that laid the foundations for a career in interior design. In the five years since she established her company, Studio Ashby, she has swiftly evolved into one of the most talked-about young interior designers in this country, completing over 25 projects in that time. She currently employs a team of 14, has an impressive studio workshop on Ladbroke Grove, and predictably has between six to eight projects under management every year. An astonishing achievement for any fledgling business, but even more remarkable when you consider her youth and financial naivety when she first followed her inherent desire to pursue a life in interior design aged just 25. Her refreshingly unassuming confidence, childhood experiences, and fresh, intuitive approach to interior design have played a fundamental role in that early success. “The peripatetic lifestyle of my parents who renovated houses and then sold them allowed me to be exposed to an eclectic and diverse style of architecture and interior design. I moved house 14 times before I was 20; in London until I was eight; Stellenbosch for four years; Devon for ten years, and now my parents are in Portugal. Thanks to them I lived in a traditional Cape Dutch farmhouse, a London Edwardian house and a contemporary oak frame and glass home and many other styles or property. My love of property was subliminally ingrained at a very young age. For me, that ritual of unpacking boxes and positioning all your favourite things in your room or watching my parents placing the old sofa in a new home, was intrinsically linked to the idea of “home.” The power of objects and belongings became an inherent part of my life. That childhood fascination with architecture and interior design was joined by a passion for art. Awarded an art scholarship for the sixth form at the independent school, Millfield, she went on to gain a BA in History of Art at Leeds. On the advice of a friend she also spent a summer at Parsons in New York studying Interior Design. There is no doubt that the desire to succeed and the work ethic was always there. As she tells it, “before I left school I was one of the very lucky few who had already decided what they want to do. Even by the time I was a teenager I was aware that I was craving independence 07

and longed to be a grown up. So, the thought of struggling as an artist and being broke for ages wasn’t something that was appealing, however important art was in my life. I had a clear direction to link the worlds of art and interior design. “My first job was as an apprentice to Victoria Fairfax, a very traditional interior designer. She had an extraordinary clientele renovating country houses, stately homes and huge mansions in Switzerland and America. The calibre of projects we were working on was mind blowing. Stylistically, it was a whole new language. Yet, I was fascinated about working in a classical vernacular that would provide the foundation and understanding of classical detailing and proportions. There’s no doubt my love for antiques and eclectic artefacts was inspired by my time with her. “After two years I went to work for a start-up called Spring and Mercer. They needed someone to help run their interior design projects. They wanted someone young and inexpensive. Apparently I was the right person for the job! All of a sudden at 23 I found myself leading their interior design department. The initial projects were small, but soon we had built a team of six or seven interior designers and the projects had magnified. I loved every moment and certainly gained valuable knowledge about the financial aspects of running a business.” What happened next was to prove a seminal moment in her career. “The developers Faris and Rakan McKinnon of LandCap came in with a project to develop a five-bedroom house close to Trafalgar Square, but my bosses determined it was not a viable proposition for their business. Privately, Faris contacted me and offered me the commission as my first project if I left Spring and Mercer. That is essentially how I started my own business by accident. The design fee for this project was the same as my annual salary. So, I just thought if I don’t get any other projects this year, then at least I have got the same amount and I will just have to better at saving or distributing it over the months. We went on to become great friends. “But the design grapevine judiciously worked and within three weeks we gained a second project, after six weeks a further one, then six months later I had an assistant and it has snowballed from there. Originally I was working at home or from cafes on my laptop. I had no money at all, no savings and no safety net, but it was one of those significant, pivotal moments when

everything in my life changed. I had come out of a big relationship and I was living in a friend’s spare bedroom, but I had established a business that was growing fast, and feeling exhilarated by this new phase of my life. “By then we were three people in a shoeboxsized office, and I soon realised I had to make my first expensive, experienced hire. I desperately needed someone who knew what she was doing and would add the necessary gravitas. Fiona Blanchot is still with me today and is now an associate director. From the minute she became part of the team at Studio Ashby we were able to start pitching for a different type of project because I had her outstanding skill set, as well as mine. “Almost unbelievably a year later, we won the commission for an incredible development of 126 apartments in an immense tower block called Upper Riverside, Greenwich Peninsula for Knight Dragon. Responsible for the interior architecture for the entire building, we fully interior designed six apartment types and the common parts, designed the marketing suite and all the necessary visuals, whilst throughout the remainder of the building we designed every detail of the architectural interiors. After three and a half years of working on this all-consuming job it will be completed this year. Even now I have no idea how many design companies we were pitching against, but Kerri and Richard from Knight Dragon interviewed us and chose to place their trust and confidence in our fledgling business, hopefully enchanted by our unique and quirkily fresh style.” That vast development and those that followed, unquestionably launched Studio Ashby on a stellar trajectory, and allowed them to build a comprehensive and impressive portfolio of work that truly represents her style. Her honesty is palpably heart-warming and refreshing. “When I first started as a designer, I truly had no idea what represented the Sophie Ashby style. It was only when I was interviewed at Spring and Mercer and they asked me to create a mood board for a mock project, that I drew on all my experiences and accrued knowledge over the years and combined them into my personal taste. South Africa provided my love of earthy colours, use of light and airy spaces, while my English heritage was responsible for the addiction to collecting eclectic pieces from around the world, whether they were

antique, vintage or contemporary. In truth, my style is constantly evolving, but the basic tenet that art should always be at the heart of any project will never change. It is crucial to my design aesthetic. “A love of art is entrenched in my background. I grew up in a house where we talked about art, went to art galleries and I found a husband (fashion designer Charlie Casely-Hayford), who has the same passion and that’s how we now spend our spare time. Art plays a dominant role at the beginning of every project, particularly in contemporary development buildings when your starting point is a plain white box lacking any extraordinary historic architectural details and no end-user client. In those circumstances the only thing that inspires me and provides an idea of where to begin, is artwork. It can either be an artwork that we buy and becomes the focal point of the room or it can be an artist who I know that we could commission, or it may even be a Picasso viewed years ago that is the genesis of the design story. “But if a client connects emotionally with their heart and yearns to have a home surrounded by art that makes them feel any emotion, be it happy or sad, pensive or intrigued, we can help. It’s such an important part of a house and I find it awkward to take on clients who don’t harmonise with that thought process. To me it is glaringly obvious when the art is not an intrinsic part of the interior design from the beginning. “These days we are hugely influenced by our clients and that is why our portfolio is now so diverse. There is definitely a common thread that someone might be able to discern and identify that links the design to Studio Ashby, but each project is very different in terms of style and that’s entirely due to the individual taste and lifestyle of the private client and what they request. For example, last year we renovated a huge villa in Holland Park which is inherently classical, and feels evocative of my time working for Victoria Fairfax. It was such a joy to be working on a project where the house retains historic details, and the natural fit was antiques. During the same period, we worked on an ultra-modern penthouse in Covent Garden which was driven by bold pops of colour and contemporary furniture. Each was extraordinarily diverse, but still reflects the design ethos that is at the heart of our style philosophy.” When asked what is the secret to her success,

Previous Left: Mayfair’s Burlington Gate apartment. Previous Right: The Colyer, Covent garden apartment. Left: Robertson Small Hotel near Cape Town, South Africa. Below Left: Bedroom at Mayfair’s Burlington Gate apartment.

she responds in a refreshingly candid manner. “I have an extraordinary team. Pretty early on I decided to hire people who are older and better than me and that proved to be a game changer. To this day I have three or four people who have been with me almost from the beginning and without them it just would not have been possible to have achieved so much in such a short time. Their experience, confidence and skills were especially valuable in the early days when my youth and inexperience may have been questioned. “Our projects are split equally between London and the countryside. I am a country bumkin at heart so I really enjoy projects which get me out, it changes the process and you instinctively create something totally different. We do still take on projects that fall into the passion category where we hardly earn a bean, but we just love it. Obviously, I am running a business with no other shareholders, I don’t have investment and I have 14 members of staff, so the decisions I make these days have to be commercial. But if someone pulls at my heart strings or makes me get very excited and we can do something extraordinary together and it would be fun, then I’m a pretty easy target! In this very difficult and uncertain financial climate it is reassuring that we are starting to receive international commissions, naturally where they are the additional homes of existing clients.” As she laughingly says, “when I started my business there were times when I doubted what I was doing. I can’t possibly have known what I was doing. I was 25 years old, lacked the requisite experience in both practical and financial terms. So, everything we have achieved has come from trusting my gut instinct for things and being quite ballsy about asking other people in the industry for advice. “Someone like Bernd Radaschitz of INTERIORiD, for example, is the perfect person for me to turn to when I am uncertain about anything. When I first met him, Studio Ashby was still in the embryonic stages, and much as I liked him and their product, I was slightly 09

intimidated by the consummate level of their joinery and the immense level of projects they were working on. I knew we were not ready and our clientele would not be able to afford him. “Fortunately, before too long we started to get the kind of projects where we could work together. A commercial trip to Milan where we had dinner with Bernd and his brother, Johann, and really enjoyed their company was a decisive moment. When we were selected as the interior designers for a vast family house in Kensington, we asked INTERIOR-iD to pitch for the joinery contract for the entire house, including the vast kitchen. Although the financial aspect is one of the crucial decisions, it is imperative to have a close, reliable and amicable relationship with a joinery company, and Bernd is recognised as almost peerless in both respects. We repeated the experience on a sumptuous apartment in Burlington Gate, with equal success.” When asked why they are so unique in their field, her response is brutally honest. “It’s a combination of their Austrian heritage, the ethos that is inherent in a fourth-generation family business, the pervading philosophy of reverence for time-honoured skills, combined with modern technical efficiency. Their showroom in Notting Hill is a haven for us and for clients, and their sampling process in Austria is almost unrivalled. Most importantly, they create exactly what was promised, and deliver on time. They run a really tight ship and so do I. It makes working together so much easier. We are remarkably similar in the way we do business. “Looking ahead I would hope that Studio Ashby is simply a superior version of what it is now. I don’t want it to be bigger and I have no desire to have 60-100 members of staff. That’s not why I’m doing this. We are lucky that we are able to choose only to work with delightful clients. I haven’t worked on a project yet of which I’m not superbly proud. I want to always enjoy the creative design process because I love what I do”.

Right: Thomas Telser and Sam Walker, Joint Managing Directors at INTERIOR-iD.

INTERIOR-iD In January 2018, it was announced that Sam Walker and Thomas Telser had been appointed Joint Managing Directors of INTERIOR-iD. Together, their shared knowledge seamlessly fuses to create a unique partnership, allowing INTERIOR-iD to be at the forefront of pioneering technological advances blended harmoniously with traditional craftsmanship. Here, they tell their individual stories of how they came to join the company, and why INTERIOR-iD is so special to both of them.

How did you both come to work for INTERIOR-iD? THOMAS At a very early age it seems that destiny determined that I would, one day, work for INTERIOR-iD. I grew up in a small village about ten miles from where Bernd’s family established their joinery business in Riegersburg, almost one hundred years ago. Completely coincidentally, my parents used their company to design and build furniture for our family home. Workers who have now been in the RADASCHITZ workshop for 40 years were installing pieces when I was still a very young boy. Although no member of my family had ever become a cabinet maker, subliminally I must have been influenced and from a very early age I was always making things from wood. Ironically, I did not meet Bernd until I arrived in London in 2010. By then, I had completed my apprenticeship as a cabinet maker, spent 18 months in the Austrian army, serving for a year in Bosnia, and returned to a unique specialist school to study a Masters in joinery and cabinet making, alongside design and economics. Not surprisingly, a lot of the current INTERIOR-iD staff, including Bernd and myself, have followed the same path. After my extra two years of studying, I decided to take some time out and planned to come to London. Through a mixture of connections and coincidences, two weeks before my flight, I received a phone call from Bernd saying he possibly had a few

joinery projects coming up and asking me if I could help with the site surveys and technical drawings. That is how I became employee number one, working from the kitchen table of Bernd’s flat in Notting Hill. Bernd already had some connections with a young architects’ company called MWAI, who had a small office which was really nothing more than a converted garage. It had six desks and four or five staff, and Bernd and I were allocated two hot desks. As a learning experience, the interaction between ourselves and the architectural team was invaluable. We learnt to view a project from their perspective and vice versa. This was when we first realised, right from the very beginning, the huge importance of viewing something from a different viewpoint. It established the ethos of INTERIOR-iD which is still at the heart of the business today. As both businesses flourished and grew, they moved to an office in Marylebone but, within a year, the growth was so fast paced for both of us that we moved to the discreet courtyard office in the heart of residential Notting Hill where we still are today. In nine years, I have progressed from technical draftsman to project manager, operations manager, business development manager, and finally to joint managing director. SAM After a brief flirtation with the idea of becoming a plumber at 16, I swapped allegiances and began an apprenticeship as a bench joiner. With

hindsight it was a far more logical career choice. As a young boy I had designed and created things like a CD rack for my mother, as a birthday present, helped by my grandfather. I first worked for a few local businesses in Reading and then joined a company called SYMM who had been established in 1815. This was my first taste of luxury joinery. I briefly went to work for a building contractor, but soon realised that my heart was dedicated to joinery. I had met and been interviewed by Bernd but, at that time, it wasnâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t the right fit for me or for them, although I was so impressed with their business. Then, in 2017, the timing and the opportunity was ideal for both of us. I started as commercial manager dealing with contract negotiation, tendering for projects, basically the money side of things. Two years on, I have responsibility for the entire financial side of the business and the majority of the companyâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s administrative affairs. As the kitchen brand, LANSERRING, grew it became a major part of my role creating the marketing strategy, outlining forecasting plans and ensuring we have the capacity for sustainable growth. INTERIOR-iD is the engine that drives LANSERRING and, at present, its well-established resources, credibility and reputation within the world of the super prime luxury market are the foundations that will allow this new business to grow. In January 2018, Thomas and Sam were

appointed as joint managing directors, where Sam focuses on the commercial side and Thomas runs the sales and operation division. What makes you both so passionate about working for INTERIOR-iD? THOMAS For me it is the uniquely special projects that we are able to work on. SAM I love my job, the sector we work in, the joinery we do, the projects we work on, but I think a major part of what makes me so happy is the work I do helping others progress in their careers. The team is young and capable with huge potential. What are the core values and company philosophy behind the structure of the business? THOMAS and SAM At the heart of the business are three core values: innovation, excellence and authenticity, which we try to reflect through every single aspect of what we do. SAM My aim is getting everyone to focus on these goals and ensure they are always at the heart of the business. Our Authenticity centres on the fact that we are part of a fourth-generation family-run business that was established in 1923. We are renowned for our constant search for Innovation where we combine traditional centuries old processes with modern technology, constantly seeking any developments that will give us advantages and advances within the

industry. Excellence is something we strive to deliver to the highest standards. It covers the way we behave as a team, the way we deliver our services, and our communication to all the stakeholders in the projects, alongside the superb quality of our product. THOMAS It’s quite rare these days, when everything is so commercial, but I truly believe that you should stand by your word, based on a gentleman’s handshake. It doesn’t matter if it’s a private client or a stakeholder in the project, if you can build on this bond of trust it totally changes the working relationship. It always comes back to how can we help and improve the service we offer, what do the architects, interior designers, building contractors need, and how can we make their lives easier. What sets INTERIOR-iD apart from its competitors? THOMAS The feedback that we have received over the last few years confirms that the service and the product we offer are exceptional and beyond what is expected from a joinery company. Our proactive approach has a huge impact on the overall smooth running of a project and is appreciated by all the other stakeholders we work alongside. SAM In our industry the quality of the product is an assumed expectation, so to rise above our competitors we have to look at other ways to differentiate ourselves through our service and working relationship. A key aim is to make life easy for all the main contractors. We provide support where necessary and produce on budget, on time, not just a quality product, but a quality experience. Our proactive project management is absolutely key to ensure the entire project runs smoothly which improves the quality and lead time for everyone. Can you describe the challenges you face when working on overseas projects?

THOMAS Interestingly, working internationally is not a challenge for us as, from day one, 90% of the workforce was in Austria liaising with us in London. As a fledgling business we had to be very organised and efficient, so for us there really is no difference working in any other part of the world. Importantly, we have trusted site foremen who have been working for us for seven years. Although other countries may have different regulations, we are so used to that challenge, that we enjoy the prospect of working internationally, and the bonus is that members of the team travel to many beautiful parts of the world. How many staff are part of the team? SAM For the duration of every single project there are 15 to 20 staff involved. That includes two to three sales people, one project manager, two to five people who produce drawings, one person from the Austrian office, eight to ten on the workshop floor, and at least two for installation. In total we have 25 staff in London and 45 in Austria. How many projects do you have in production at any one time? SAM There are usually 15 projects in varying stages for INTERIOR-iD, and LANSERRING will have a further 15 to 20. Since November 2017, we have tendered and won about 40 projects for LANSERRING. THOMAS At present we have two projects in Kuwait; we are building furniture for one of the fastest 86-metre super yachts in the world; we have one commission in Qatar and a vast family office in Hong Kong. We are also working with luxury developer, Clivedale, on their ‘Mayfair Park Residences’, a multiapartment building, where they have commissioned us to create complex fireplaces of the highest specification. Do you work across a broad price spectrum of 12

projects? THOMAS Absolutely. It could be a single masterpiece such as an exquisitely designed desk through to the entire joinery commission including doors for a large house which may be around the corner from our Notting Hill office; or it could be in Japan or South America. The key element is that the quality and attention to detail is always exceptional. Where does the business generate from? THOMAS Over years of hard work, we have gained a remarkable reputation within the industry through our close relationships with interior designers, architects, and building contractors, as well as our client’s representatives, including their cost consultants and project management teams. Each one is a key component in our continuing success as they repeatedly recommend us to their valued clients. How do you source skilled and talented staff? SAM It is highly important for us to have a certain caliber of person as we create technically complex projects for INTERIOR-iD and LANSERRING. They have to know how furniture goes together, understand the journey through production as well as the management process with our clients and main contractors. It has proved much easier to take someone with technical knowledge from a Masters school and train them up in the other skill sets, rather than take a project manager and instill in them the technical process. You don’t have to be a master cabinet maker, but some experience helps. When they are sitting in front of our clients they can talk knowledgably and with confidence. Within the industry these uniquely talented people can be quite hard to find. Over the last ten years, training and recruitment haven’t quite kept up with the pace of growth. So, we have created an unofficial apprenticeship within INTERIOR-iD. It is different in Austria where the master craftsman or cabinet maker is still revered and respected. Is there a distinct trend to what clients are requesting? THOMAS It has been noticeable that all our private clients have become more and more engaged in

Above Left: View of the reception in our Notting Hill studio. Right: Thomas and Sam discussing the early stages of a new tender package in our material gallery space. 13

the total process from design to completion. They are impressed with the heritage of a company now in its fourth generation, set in this little village in Austria, with a castle next to it. That history has enormous value. One private client, who we have worked for over a six-year period, starting with his office, then his private apartment in Monaco, his London homes and now some furniture elements for his super yacht, wanted to see the workshops. He flew in his private jet to the nearby airport and then took a helicopter to the workshop where we explained and showed every part of the process. The visit was completed by a walk through the castle. Certainly, this is a new level of care and commitment. Describe the team culture between INTERIOR-iD London and the workforce in Austria? SAM The company ethos is to make everyone feel supported, to nurture progress with a programme of socialising, such as team days, or a team trip to Austria for a few days, where there is no work, just bonding. We are exceptionally proud of the strong team spirit that reinforces the belief that the correct work-life balance is a priority. How do you see the future within the prime residential industry in London and abroad? SAM Our challenge is to successfully expand into international markets with a sustainable output. INTERIOR-iD is a great success story in its own right. When you look back at the type of projects we were doing, and where we are now and the reputation we have within the industry, it has been a phenomenal achievement. Finding the right people to work for us internationally who share the same ethos and the same core values will pay off in the long run. We are just starting. THOMAS Starting as the first employee and viewing the rapid change in these first nine years, it is almost beyond my imagination to envisage what we will have achieved in a further decade. The goal is to always adapt to the immediate market and to our clients’ needs. I hope that we will be even more multi-national, have built an even stronger reputation, but the one thing I hope never changes, is what we stand for as a company.

Right: LDB Project Team in listed building in Wimbledon Village.

MASTER BUILDER PROFILE —

LDB Construction

When 18-year old Liam Birch left South Africa in the summer of 1998 and flew to London, knowing not a single soul at his destination, and with only £150 of Thomas Cook Travellers cheques in his pocket, the outlook for his future was daunting, challenging, and possibly bleak. Those limited funds had to pay rent, food and travel costs until he found a job in one of the most expensive cities in the world. Twenty-one years later, he is the managing director of LDB Construction, employs 80 fulltime employees, and the company has a turnover of £15million. It is, without doubt, an extraordinary story of success. One that would not have been achieved without his tenacity and talent for his chosen career, his formidable work ethic and most importantly, the exceptional company ethos based on the tenets of compassion and empathy that he established from the very beginning. As he tells it, “I was lucky enough to get a job working for an Irish concrete contractor called Silver Construction. Because of where we were building in the city, a great deal of our work could only be carried out during the evenings, which meant double shifts three times a week, double pay, plus working Saturdays and Sundays. I was able to save a lot of money. “After a year, I realised it would be wise to continue my education, so I returned to South Africa, completed a four-year B.Sc. in Construction Management at the University of Cape Town, then decided to immediately return to the U.K. But even as a post grad I discovered I would be earning much less than I had been as a shuttering hand. Rather disheartened, I went back to concrete work. After two years, I had 12 carpenters 14

working directly for me and I had learnt a great deal about reinforced concrete frames. “At this point, two things changed my life completely. Firstly, I was approached by a business owner from Essex to work on the St James’s Homes, Grosvenor Waterside multi-apartment development opposite the Chelsea Barracks. He was an amazing man and let me run the whole project on my own: the commercial side, the logistics and a workforce of about 60 carpenters. It was highly unusual for such a young person to be involved in a project at this level, holding meetings with senior members of the development team. I repaid his trust with hard work and worked on this project successfully for over three years. “Secondly, I was approached by a Russian lady who owned a flat in Lowndes Court, Knightsbridge. The project was emotionally challenging as her husband was terminally ill, yet she didn’t want him to go into care while the flat was refurbished. We did it very successfully over a 12-month period, moving him from room to room, and we became great friends. In fact, she ended up employing one of our labourers as his carer for his last 12 months. “When you work in a building like Lowndes Court for HNW clients and you complete a project particularly well, the word spreads. We soon had a further commission in the building, and then we refurbished the apartment for the lady who ran the committee for the building, and so it went. Before we knew it, we were a building contractor working in Knightsbridge. So, I guess there was a bit of luck involved, as there always is, but we took on a demanding and difficult project that others had turned down, and our reputation grew steadily.

Heath Adamson, Commercial Director, Charl Beyleveld, Construction Director, Liam Birch, Managing Director, LDB Construction

“Our first major project was a year or two later when we accepted the formidable challenge to complete a 7,500sq.ft. house on Prince Arthur Road in Hampstead, that was in the process of being refurbished by a builder who didn’t really know what he was doing. In my mind that is the moment when LDB Construction officially started as a business.” Liam is at pains to point out that the swift and exceptional success of LDB is not something he has achieved alone. “There were a further two big milestones that set LDB on its current trajectory. Heath Adamson joined us in year four as our commercial director and introduced all the commercial systems and structure that are essential for a business to succeed in the long term. Our contracts manager, Charl Beyleveld, who has recently been appointed construction director, became the last piece of the puzzle. He allowed me the bandwidth to focus on the business and build new relationships. But, most importantly both Heath and Charl have been instrumental in ensuring that thoughtfulness, kindness, acceptance and a desire to help others are the crucial philosophy at the heart of the company. “Every contractor will have a mission statement and ours is about the people. There is no hierarchy in our business. If a labourer wishes to see me, Heath or Charl, that’s who they see. We truly believe no single person is more important than anyone else. If a site labourer has a problem at home, everybody stops what they are doing, so we can see how we can assist. Instinctively, everyone realises they are part of this wider family. We have NO turnover of staff. We have occasionally had to let people go, because they did not reach our high standards, but no one has ever left. Ever. We pay higher than all of our competitors, by about 15% across every trade. We respect workers who have the right attitude and are skilled, but also gentle, kind and understanding. “That is why the relationship with Bernd and the team at INTERIOR-iD works so well, as they follow a similar philosophy and work in the same diligent and focused manner. Two years ago, they were helping us

with a large family home project in London’s Phillimore Gardens and we had flown to the workshop to sign off the preassembled joinery, before shipping. I knew immediately there was a synergy between our two companies because when Bernd walked through the vast Austrian workshop he greeted every single member of the team by name and chatted. It’s a family business and that’s exactly how we are. Not surprisingly, the project was a huge success. At present, we are working with them on three projects: one in the impressive Manresa Mansions off Kings Road, and two smaller apartments in London. We would never volunteer to work with anyone else, they are that good. “Both Bernd and Thomas Telser, the joint managing director, are time served bench joiners. So, they intrinsically understand how complex construction works. As a result, they have respect for tradesmen, artisans and people who are skilled with their hands, something that is hugely lacking in this industry. The standard in this industry at this level with such discriminating HNW clients has to be perfection, otherwise you won’t survive. Where INTERIOR-iD excel is that their joinery is built on time, delivered on time and installed on time. They do it competitively and to a state-of-the-art excellence that exceeds all expectations. “A further example of why INTERIOR-iD are so successful is due to the easily accessible location of their offices in Notting Hill that contain one of the largest selection of materials, samples and finishes in London. I can take a client there and almost every decision can be made in one meeting. If a chosen material is outside the budget, there will be a very similar option that is affordable. LANSERRING, their relatively new kitchen brand, offers a truly bespoke service with no restrictions, no limits, and an impeccable level of service. Alex Beaugeard, the design director, is a real pleasure to work with and his attention to detail is faultless. So far, we have installed two of their kitchens: one in a house in Kensington and the other, an apartment in Mayfair. It has proved to be a uniquely superior product.

Below Left: Large double basement with swimming pool complete with hydrofloor in Knightsbridge. Right: Penthouse to Hans Place development for Finchatton.

“All our work is based in the London boroughs of Kensington and Chelsea, Knightsbridge, Mayfair and Belgravia. At an early stage, we took the decision to only employ six site managers, meaning we can only ever fulfil six projects at any one time, using our own highly skilled workforce of 80 full time staff. The team comprises every single specialist aspect of the construction business, from steel work to reinforced concrete; from hand painted decorations for a kitchen or child’s bedroom to French polishing, and everything else in between. We only subcontract the specialist technical packages such as air conditioning and AV. The fact that we subcontract almost nothing and only take on a finite amount of work sets us apart from our competitors. It is limiting and you have to turn work away, but it allows us complete confidence to deliver our product. “At present, we have a very complicated project in Moore Street in Kensington where the entire building has been demolished, except for the façade, and the house had been comprehensively rebuilt with neighbours either side and an expansive penthouse flat in a very important building on Manresa Road. Typically, we have two large projects where the budget is £4-6million, and four smaller commissions between £2-2.5million. At present, we have one in Lancelot Place, one in Sloane Court West, one in Lennox Gardens and one Penthouse flat in Valetta House, close to Battersea Bridge. “The part of the business that is growing rapidly is the maintenance division that offers a follow-on service to our existing clients and, from time to time, if it’s the right fit, we do allow others to benefit from this service. It’s fundamentally so successful because if the maintenance department needs ten painters tomorrow, as a client wishes to redecorate their house because they are having a party in a week’s time, we have the capability to take ten painters from the construction company overnight, all of whom we know, trust and are highly skilled. “This is a highly competitive industry and the modern consumer wants to deal with someone who has integrity, is transparent and personable. It’s very different from how it was ten years ago. Our clients want to know where the marble or stone is coming from, they want to buy it at source, they don’t want to find out that every time it changes hands the price increases by 10%. It is irrelevant that our clients are wealthy, we still need to find value for them and they need to believe that we offer a competitive service. 17

Nowadays clients are very willing to spend time with the contractor. Where it used to be their representative or the architect, now it’s the clients themselves. They may go on a private jet, while we fly by plane, but they are still making the effort before construction. I don’t think we have done one job in the last five years where the client has not flown with us to Italy to hand select their marble. “To us this shift in attitude is crucial. The bond between client and contractor is built during the early stages of any project. When the contractor feels valued and there is an intrinsic rapport with the client, the outcome, without exception, will be better. The construction industry needs to see this fundamental shift in attitude as the long-term value will benefit everybody. This is another reason why I prefer to work with INTERIOR-iD. Thanks to his technical insight into joinery and his finely-honed business skills, Bernd possesses a deep understanding of the ability to change a selected material offering a significant reduction in price, with little effect on the aesthetic. Many of his competitors simply are unable to offer the same level of service.” At the heart of this business is integrity, sincerity and an adherence to old-fashioned principles that is rare in any industry, let alone, the construction business. Leading that change for a different culture are the three men at the head of LDB: Liam Birch, Heath Adamson, Charl Beyleveld and their 80 strong team. As Liam concludes, “I didn’t expect to be successful and I certainly have never measured our success in monetary terms, and I still don’t. I come from a modest background: both my father and brother are foresters and real role models in what it means to work hard. “There’s a big misconception in this industry that contractors make lots of money, the truth is that once in every three years we break even. I make more than I thought I would. I have a nice house and I have a Land Rover Defender. I don’t have aspirations to own a bigger house or a fancier car. Everyone else who is part of the LDB Construction team has a similar attitude. No one is striving to be rich. We invest in our team. I would sooner have a work force that knows it can be helped, than make a higher profit or buy a Ferrari. This business will be around for the next 40 years. It will just get better. The people who have been with me for 15 years are so much better at their skills now, can you imagine where they will be in another 10 years?”

Ashberg House, London

Case study INTERIOR DESIGNER Morpheus London MAIN CONTRACTOR Icon 1992 JOINERY SCOPE INTERIOR-iD Entrance hall Living Room Kitchen Bedrooms Bathrooms Dressing Room Study Cloakroom

Page 18: Bespoke cabinet with integrated fireplace, metal details and soft concealed lighting. Previous: Reception room with fitted cabinetry featuring faceted details in liquid metal bronze finish and leather panels. Left: Master bedroom with bespoke bedside tables in a special liquid metal bronze finish. Bottom Left: Master study with hand dyed eucalyptus veneer with polished metal details. Below Right: Double vanity with dark marble top and recessed handles detail in metal.

Located in the heart of Chelsea within the Bolton’s Conservation Area, Ashberg House is a spectacular 8,400sq.ft. new build home created by leading design studio Morpheus London. The design and architecture of the five-storey residence on Cathcart Road is influenced by the ambercoloured 102-carat diamond, known as the Ashberg diamond, that was once part of the Russian Crown Jewels. From the impressive chandelier to faceted details in the joinery, everything in the house has been crafted with the utmost skill and attention to detail. INTERIOR-iD were commissioned by Morpheus London to manufacture and install all the joinery in the prime areas of the house, including the fitted cabinetry with faceted details in the reception room, also inspired by the diamond structure; a luxurious, book matched marble fire place that can be remotely-controlled; and a vast study room in hand dyed eucalyptus veneer with polished stainless steel metal details. In the spacious 1,250sq.ft. master bedroom

suite that occupies the entire first floor, we supplied and installed custom-made bedside tables in a special liquid metal bronze finish, as well as the bespoke cabinetry of the expansive walk-in closet dressed in birds-eye maple and silk panels. INTERIOR-iD also had the privilege to produce and install the family kitchen, one of the last kitchen environments the company was involved in prior to the creation of our dedicated kitchen brand, LANSERRING. In this vast, open-plan kitchen, we produced the handcrafted fitted cabinetry in grey tay koto solid veneer with stylized bronze quadrilateral handles, complete with polished granite worktops. The emphasis on craftsmanship and the use of exquisite materials were at the heart of this project, allowing us to demonstrate our cutting-edge expertise in manufacturing bespoke interiors using a variety of materials and finishes. The ultimate accolade arrived a few months later when Ashberg House was awarded ‘Best Luxury Residence in London’ by Design et al.

PROPERTY DEVELOPER PROFILE â&#x20AC;&#x201D;

Clivedale In recent years, the property preferences of high-net-worth individuals, in this country and internationally, has been gradually changing. The emerging trend is for luxurious contemporary branded residences that are affiliated with renowned hotel groups. The discreetly successful property company, Clivedale, is currently partnering with Mandarin Oriental to build the prestigious Residences at Mandarin Oriental Mayfair, and with Dorchester Collection on Mayfair Park Residences, which will share all the benefits and amenities of the integrated five star hotel. Here, we interview Steven Blaess, their Head of Interior Design. 24

Steven Blaess, Head of Design, Clivedale

There are times when embracing a multifaceted career early in your working life can prove to be a considerable asset, especially when the accrued knowledge and divergent skills ultimately merge as integral components required in one business. In the case of Australian-born Steven Blaess, that diversity has helped his ascendency to the enviable position as Head of Interior Design at the notable Mayfair-based property company, Clivedale, established in 2012. Having gained a degree in Human Environments in Australia, which covered interior architecture and product manufacturing, his portfolio of careers has lead him to where he works today. As he tells it, “It was a career filled with deliberate variety. During those early years I worked on both the consultant side and the development side, with projects ranging from private residential units through to multi-unit prime residential, hotel hospitality and commercial offices, to product and industrial design, design engineering and manufacturing. The skills I accumulated have proved invaluable within this industry.” Past employers include the legendary Zaha Hadid Architects for whom he was contracted to deliver a diverse range of homeware, from furniture to crockery, as well as limited edition pieces to a global retail market. “I worked with them for nine months from concept through 25

to samples, prototypes, full production and eventually global distribution to eight high end retailers. There were 54 SKU product lines and in the region of 30,000 units. This fascinating project helped me research and work with valuable creative design manufacturing sources”. Despite his many talents, Blaess describes himself as an interior architect. “I have built architectural projects for clients previously, as my understanding of structural requirements for buildings encompasses all aspects of a built environment. But, I also possess an industrial design string to my bow as well. “I joined Clivedale at the end of 2013 as a development manager to work on one specific project: their development of ‘Mayfair Park Residences’ in partnership with Dorchester Collection. In swift succession, a site was purchased in Mayfair’s Brook Street, which was to become the head office of Clivedale, and I was correspondingly assigned to that project, alongside a colleague. This was an extraordinary opportunity to use the head office as a showcase for the company’s comprehensive insight, expertise and proficiency into the world of super prime development. “I was quite adamant that this space should be used as an extraordinary testbed for future materials, suppliers, and significant detailing. So, we incorporated into the building, finishes and specifications that we

are now employing in other residential projects. There is no doubt that this statuesque building is a showcase for Clivedale’s capabilities. Within the vast reception area, a dramatic modern work of art by Haberdashery is suspended from the ceiling. “This dedication to integrity, innovation and discernment is the core value that defines Clivedale and their commitment to the end user. We have an innate understanding of our future client and resident needs, and we use that knowledge to create properties and offer services that set new benchmarks in service, quality, design and elegance.” In the short space of seven years, this remarkable business has completed its first residential scheme, The Mansion in Marylebone, which consists of 23 luxury apartments, complete with its own dedicated concierge team (including a chauffeur-driven Bentley), specifically recruited to work within the building. As Steven states, “this level of luxury and five-star service is an integral part of the business ethos that is expected within the super prime market”. With construction completed and the fit-out phase imminent, ‘Mayfair Park Residences’ managed by Dorchester Collection, which contains 26 apartments is due for completion in 2020, while ‘The Residences at Mandarin Oriental Mayfair’ which comprise 80 residences from a 409sq.ft. suite to two four-bedroom penthouse apartments at 3,008sq.ft. is due for completion in 2021. Clivedale purchased that site close to Hanover Square and have worked with Mandarin Oriental in terms of the management of the residences and the hotel itself. Equally impressively, in the last 12 months

they have exchanged on approximately £90million of property sales and acquired £130million of land through the purchase of two London properties, Carlton House Terrace, St James and 75-77 Brook Street, Mayfair, which is adjacent to Clivedale’s spectacular head office. It is fair to say that they own a significant share of the market in this sphere. Steven succinctly adds, “currently all the business is located in the UK, but there are plans to extend. At present, the focus is on developing and investing further in London. “Rather than adhering to a distinct style, we are driven to create a positive differential in the property market that isn’t usually there already. For example, at ‘Mayfair Park Residences’ we took a conscious decision not to do a version of the traditional “London” look that historically has been repeated many times and seen in countless glossy magazines or sales brochures. We contracted an international design team from Paris, ‘Jouin Manku’, who were able to take a step back, revaluate the vision and aesthetic, and create a refreshing and contemporary perspective. Whereas, for ‘The Residences at Mandarin Oriental Mayfair’, a Japanese team called ‘Curiosity’ were hired to do the public areas; we are working with Thomas Juul-Hansen from New York on the apartment interiors, Studio Indigo are responsible for the hotel bedrooms. This individualistic approach appeals to our forward-thinking investors, entrepreneurs and business people who long for a uniquely outstanding property. “Bernd Radaschitz of INTERIOR-iD and I share a singularly discerning eye for design and passion for craftsmanship. The quality of their joinery is fantastic, the attention to detail is excellent and we are both 26

committed to maintaining similarly exacting standards across the two companies. They have a long-established calibre of workmanship where traditional craftsmanship is highly valued. They are adept at utilising old techniques and transforming them in a very modern way. “He and his team were highly recommended, not once, but twice. Studio Indigo, who they had worked with recently, was the first and then coincidentally the second endorsement happened through a chance meeting at the Austrian embassy with a friend of his. We commissioned them to design and build the marketing suite for ‘The Residences at Mandarin Oriental Mayfair’ within our head office. They completed that extremely complex project in a very timely manner with exquisite attention to detail. In addition, they are currently working on ‘Mayfair Park Residences’. The affiliation between INTERIOR-iD and Clivedale has been incredibly successful so far. “The state-of-the-art fireplaces, with their motorised screens, that INTERIOR-iD are responsible for creating for the apartments within ‘Mayfair Park Residences’ will be a fundamental focal point of the property. There is no doubt that they will provide the ‘wow’ factor that people will remember. Their natural affinity for outstanding quality, attention to detail and design engineering is vitally important, but their creative knowledge extends far beyond the natural boundaries

Page 24-25: Computer Generated Image (CGI) of one of ‘Mayfair Park Residences’ apartments. INTERIOR-iD has been commissioned to supply and install the fireplaces in every apartment. Above: Travertine lined lobby with a bespoke Lasvit chandelier in The Mansion, London. Right: 73 Brook Street Family office. 27

of a joinery company. They don’t just draw something, build it and then hope it fits. They actually build it in their Austrian workshop, ensuring that it is a sublime fit, before they deliver it on site. They solve any possible issues before they happen. Their willingness to sit around a table and discuss in detail the minutiae of each commission; their intricate drawings; their immense knowledge; the scope of materials; the attention to detail, plus their involvement in every aspect is rare.” This devotion to sourcing unique components extends beyond joinery. As Steven Blaess explains, “for a lobby at ‘Mayfair Park Residences’ we are working with Lasvit, an acclaimed Czech Republic crystal company, on the main feature chandelier. Whereas, in the Jouin Manku lobby, part of the design installation features fine bone china leaves that are coming from a historic bone china manufacturer in Stoke-on-Trent. The thrill is discovering these remarkable companies and the unique elements they incorporate into making a development truly one-of-a-kind.” To have achieved all of this in just over seven years is extraordinary; however their ambition is focused on building this aspirational company to a peerless level. With their success at building such an impressive company with world class associations, it seems highly likely that Clivedale is only going to grow further and become internationally renowned.

LANSERRING LANSERRING was established in 2017 by fourth-generation master craftsmen and brothers, Bernd and Johann Radaschitz. The brand was born from Bernd and Johannâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s passion for constant innovation and uncompromising excellence in craft and design. They identified a gap in the market for a luxury kitchen brand which provides a truly bespoke, 360-degree concept to completion service. LANSERRING brings together Bernd and Johannâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s global authority and heritage in bespoke luxury craftsmanship, vast experience in project management and product delivery with their own design aesthetic. lanserring.com @lanserring

LANSERRING takes an haute-couture approach to each design, elevating and expanding the idea of bespoke creation. Each commission is an opportunity to create something authentic and new; a journey, tailored to reflect the tastes and lifestyle of each client. This includes private individuals, as well as creative professionals and property developers who want to explore and develop their own design concepts and ideas. As LANSERRING’s design director, Alex Beaugeard, explains, “the unique way that the workshops train and develop their craftsmen means that we have a resource of extraordinary makers. This allows the design work to follow the desires and narrative developed by the setting, lifestyle and aesthetic tastes of each client. As an approach, this sets LANSERRING apart from more mass produced products and brands that populate the kitchen space.” There is a strong sense of timeless innovation and powerful provenance in LANSERRING design. “We try to avoid trends, which can so often change from season to season”, says Bernd. LANSERRING celebrates the intrinsic value and nobility found within raw materials; through the RADASCHITZ workshop, the brand has access to an unrivalled choice of materials, layered throughout each design. State-of-the-art equipment and 29

facilities are used by craftsmen who are trained through an intensive four-year apprenticeship programme. All LANSERRING kitchens are produced in the family workshop in Austria, and delivery is project managed by their London team, giving the brand a sought-after position in the marketplace and an ability to offer clients a seamless experience. There is a collaborative process at the heart of every LANSERRING project. As Bernd highlights, “whether it’s the engineer, the client, the designer, the artisan or the project manager, there is a fundamental respect for the experience and opinions of all our skilled team members. At the heart of our philosophy is the belief that together, working to our strengths, we achieve far more than we could as individuals.” With craftsmanship and excellence at its core, LANSERRING also understands the need to touch people through British design that redefines conventional limits and boundaries. Using a rich set of highly distinctive materials and textures that set LANSERRING apart, the brand’s debut projects are spaces that are both functional and beautiful. “Whilst our heritage lies in Austria, LANSERRING is a London-based, British brand and our ambition is to bring our aesthetic to a global audience”, continues Bernd. The last two years have exceeded expectations

for the brand. The first kitchen concept, launched in late 2017, attracted an enormous amount of interest from customers. The same year, LANSERRING was nominated in the Luxury Briefing Award for ‘Excellence in Craftsmanship’, along with Gladstone, Berluti and Rolls-Royce. These achievements enabled the team to grow quickly and undertake projects worldwide from the London studio. Simultaneously, social media, especially Instagram, have hugely contributed in reinforcing LANSERRING brand awareness and in generating leads in London and abroad. From the genesis of the brand, there has been an appetite to innovate, that is not just reflected in the projects but in the approach taken to crafting the brand. Stepping away from the traditional model of a showroom network to create a relationship between clients and the brand, the LANSERRING team have chosen to develop that relationship through a more direct conversation, using contemporary social media platforms to tell their stories and present their ideas. Much care has gone into crafting this body of work and it has swiftly become the most important strand to the LANSERRING marketing strategy. The delicately curated content has won over a global audience with the LANSERRING design team now working on projects all over the world. As Alex Beaugeard tells it, “we recognised that social media has had an increasing impact on design led brands over the past decade and felt the time was right to focus our resources on a digital shop window. This has had a number of very positive unintended consequences: our clients in the design and development spheres have been able to keep up-to-date quickly with our new projects; we have been able to target specific content to specific markets; and international clients can engage with our work as easily as London clients.” The success of the social media and subsequent editorial coverage

has helped LANSERRING to cement its place as a brand at the forefront of the luxury kitchen sector. One successful example is the first kitchen collection launched in New York this year, The Delancey. As Alex explains, “The Delancey is conceived from the governing principles of Frank Lloyd Wright’s organic architectural movement rearticulated for contemporary living. The expansive kitchen is envisioned to sit within an urban, loft-conversion environment, celebrating the features of an industrial period home whilst incorporating the fluidity and openness required for modern family living. “It was a critical analysis of the way people really live that informed the arrangement of the space. The Delancey project is a reflection of our clients desire to live and entertain in a more informal way, where the craft of cooking is as important as meal itself. The layout promotes moments of social interaction. Whilst the aesthetic is not compromised. At the heart of The Delancey design is the 10-metre run of solid marble worktop, flowing from the pantry to the main kitchen, terminating with the outdoor terrace. The run is punctuated only by steel-framed screening, providing a continuous living area that creates and maintains connection between each separate space. “It has become increasingly clear to us that the brand is one of the key parts to our business that bring value to our clients. As we grow, the LANSERRING name and everything it stands for, can be deployed as a selling point for the developments we work on. Over time, as the equity in the brand grows, so does the perceived value of our work, and therefore the developments we have worked on”. Following the rapid success of the brand and the growing appetite across the globe, especially in the U.S., LANSERRING plan to expand overseas and open a loft studio in New York in 2020. Watch this space...!

Page 28-29: A LANSERRING kitchen in Barnes showcasing handpainted cabinets, white marble surfaces and metal features. Left: CGI of The Delancey concept featuring a bamboo island that cantilevers off a marble cube. Above: Drawer detail with the LANSERRING signature engraved onto a brass plate concealed within the drawer frame. Above Right: Alex Beaugeard, Design Director at LANSERRING. 31

Behind the scenes Since the Radaschitz brothers, Bernd and Johann, took over the family business in 2006, they have endeavoured to expand and develop the Radaschitz name worldwide. Here they explain the formation of The Radaschitz Group. www.radaschitz-group.com

As the fourth generation of the Radaschitz joinery business, Bernd and Johann live and breathe excellence in craftsmanship. “We grew up at the foot of Riegersburg Castle in Austria and have always been immensely proud of our family workshop and the talented people we employ. On a summer’s evening in 2006, Johann and I were sitting in our apartment above the workshops, deliberating about how best we could grow our family business. We felt that the beautifully crafted furniture being produced and sold locally should be available for a global audience.” This was five years after Bernd had graduated as a Master Craftsman and ten years after Johann became a furniture engineer. Throughout these years, they both gained invaluable experience in Vienna, Milan and London. “New York was next on the list, but our father encouraged us to come home and share the skills we learned to take the family business into a new era. Bringing our collective experience, exchanging ideas, and introducing innovative techniques to our workshop was inspirational and exciting. It was a welcome homecoming working alongside the craftsmen we grew up with, who are like our extended family. And all this within the beautiful setting of Riegersburg, the burgeoning centre of excellence for artisanship.” In July 2006, the Radaschitz brothers set up a new company, based in London, aiming to promote their family heritage, bespoke joinery and furniture to the world. INTERIOR-iD was born. “Our father supported the idea of exploring new markets, although he didn’t like the idea of me moving back to London. Safe to say, I ignored my father’s protests and booked a flight.” INTERIOR-iD was established as a project management company to serve interior designers and architects on luxury joinery projects in private homes. With the same drive for innovation and excellence in craftsmanship, INTERIOR-iD grew rapidly from Bernd’s home in London to a team of 20 highly skilled project managers and technical designers. “From our studio in Notting Hill, we deliver precision-engineered fitted furniture and cabinetry solutions to some of the world’s leading architects, interior designers, developers and construction companies within the prime residential industry.” With both brothers at the helm of the workshop, they have doubled their highly skilled team to 45 artisans who are trained through an intensive four-year apprenticeship programme, followed by another two years of technical college before graduating as a master craftsman. Meanwhile, the workshop has increased

significantly in size with state-of-the-art technology to exceed today’s requirements of precision and accuracy. “The combination of maintaining traditional craft skills and adopting modern cutting-edge technology is a rarity and is what puts us at the forefront of our industry.” In 2017, Bernd and Johann saw an increasing demand for haute couture kitchens and took this opportunity to launch a luxury kitchen brand that embraces the challenges of working with innovative styles and materials, while offering a complete bespoke service to its clientele. “LANSERRING was born from our dedication to excellence in craft and our love of beautiful design. Named after a woodcutter from the Riegersburg forest, this brand is led by completely original design aesthetic and combines our heritage in craftsmanship and product delivery. Each commission is a truly bespoke, concept to completion service tailored to reflect the lifestyle, passions and priorities of our clients, giving us strong position in the market place.” The RADASCHITZ workshop, INTERIOR-iD and LANSERRING are three sister brands that each form a part of the other’s journey in terms of history and development. They work holistically together to provide a 360-degree, concept to completion service. All three companies are unified in one structure, The Radaschitz Group, and embrace the same core values of excellence, innovation and authenticity. The RADASCHITZ workshop in Austria provides exceptional craftsmanship for kitchens, joinery and fitted furniture; INTERIOR-iD project-manages and delivers complex projects; whilst LANSERRING provides bespoke kitchen designs for its clientele. “Our design aesthetic, experience and knowledge of manufacturing techniques and materials, as well as expert project management capabilities, elevates the design and delivery process for our clients. In order to strive in the bespoke luxury sphere, you have to exceed expectations in all three areas – Product, Management and Design.” Settled in London for many years now, Bernd leads the LANSERRING and INTERIOR-iD teams dayto-day, whilst Johann manages the thriving workforce in their joinery workshops in Austria. “We are very proud of our craftsmen, designers and furniture engineers who take on challenging and exceptional projects with determination, enthusiasm and absolute professionalism. We are thrilled to empower these talented individuals, who share our ambitions in expanding our brands globally – much to the liking of our father.”

Previous: Snapshot of The Radaschitz Group landing page showing Riegersburg castle, home of the RADASCHITZ workshop. Above Right: Bernd and Johann, the Radaschitz brothers. Right: View of the three brand flags, looked upon by Riegersburg Castle. Far Right: Illustration of the clients journey through the RADASCHITZ workshop, INTERIORiD and LANSERRING, the three brands of The Radaschitz Group.

CLIENT JOURNEY

CONCEPT DESIGN

MANAGE

INSTALL

MAKE

AFTERCARE

AUTHENTICITY

INNOVATION 35

QUICKFIRE —

Daniel Daggers

Partner and Luxury Real Estate Advisor, Knight Frank

Your favourite room My Bathroom. It is the most serene, peaceful, calming and relaxing environment, where I am able to escape from my phone and the rest of the world. The books on your bedside table It may sound terrible, but I don’t read books as I tend to absorb my information through pod casts because I feel they resonate better for me personally. A movie you saw recently Avengers: End Game. I am a Marvel comic fan. It is my moment of escapism and I love it. The sight that inspires you The Sky. We spend so much time looking down at our phones and the sky is such a wonderful reminder of the special place we live in. Your favourite restaurant Le Cochonnet in Maida Vale. It’s my local, I have been going there for decades because the pizzas are awesome! The last music you bought I do not buy music, I stream it. I love old school R&B and Hip Hop... anything that takes me back to the old school. Your favourite shop The Apple Store in Regent Street. I think the space is extremely inviting and it is the cutting edge of technology. It gives you a clear idea on where the world is moving whilst their staff are extremely friendly and helpful. Besides, the “Genius” concept does make me giggle! Your career in a parallel universe I would be a professional football player. I am an Arsenal fan. Your football team is like your blood group, you cannot change it. At least, that’s what my dad told me!

An indulgence you would never forego Tiramisu or my Berluti shoes, depending on the day. Your greatest extravagance I like to travel in style. I love Boutique Hotels and appreciate comfort and efficiency when travelling. Your favourite journey I used to travel to football matches with my dad and I love the memories of that bonding experience when I look back. When do you lie Sometimes I lie to myself when I want to believe the world is a meritocracy (but thankfully, I think it is going that way). When and where are you happiest When I am inspiring others, or when others are inspiring me. The talent you would most like to have I wish I could sing (well). I can rap but would love to be able to sing like Nat King Cole. What a voice! What would you change about yourself I wish I were less idealistic. Your most treasured possession My house key. Your most marked characteristic Empathy. Your hero in life “Me in the future” to quote actor Matthew McConaughey after he received the Oscar for his role in the movie ‘Dallas Buyers Club’ in 2013 (the video can be seen on Youtube). Your motto Be good. Do good. Feel Good.

INTERIOR-iD Studio 6 27a Pembridge Villas London W11 3EP T +44 (0)20 7952 2140 info@interior-id.com www.interior-id.com