Collection Noir: In conversation with Founder Samantha Wilson

Having just introduced its debut dining collections, leading luxury stone furniture and lifestyle brand Collection Noir is going from strength to strength as the design house continues to grow its stone furniture offering. Focusing on high-quality, rare stones and timeless, classic designs, this month we speak to Samantha Wilson, Interior Designer and Founder, to find out more about the brand and what’s in store for 2024.

Tell us a little more about your background in interior design?

I have been obsessed with interiors for as long as I can remember. It started as a young girl seeing my mother constantly rearranging the furniture in our home. We did not have much, but what we did have my mother made sure it always looked perfect. In fact, all of the women in my family are very house proud so this was ingrained into me from a young age.

At the age of 21, I decided this was a career path I wanted to pursue and so I went back to school to study Architectural interior design at Inchbald School of Design in London. After my studies, I was hired as a design assistant to Anna Bilton. Working one-on-one with such a talented designer really allowed me to be exposed to all elements of the design process and ultimately grow as a designer.

This led to positions at leading studios around London and working with some of the most creative minds in the industry. Over the past decade, I have had the privilege of collaborating on various projects from super-prime residential to luxury 5* hotels in the UK and worldwide.

What led you to start Collection Noir?

Collection Noir had always been a seed thought in the back of my mind, not exactly a clear vision but more like a constant ache to channel my creativity and passion for beautiful, timeless objects in a more personal direction. It was also the idea of transformation that really inspired my decision. As an interior designer, your clients trust in you to transform their spaces and exceed their expectations. This journey of transformation has always been one that fascinated and inspired me the most.

This very element is what I believe is at the core of CN.

The ability to take beautifully raw materials and transform them into striking works of art that will only grow more beautiful as time continues. We are only scratching the surface of what is possible right now.

Where does your inspiration come from and how does that translate into the collection?

My inspiration can come in many forms. Typically through ancient architecture and design evolution over the decades, this source of inspiration is at its strongest whilst I am travelling. I am very inspired by my clients, as we receive a lot of enquiries for pieces that require bespoke design, and naturally, this allows me to explore avenues I may not have yet considered which ultimately leads me to a new piece in the collection. Inspiration is limitless if you just keep yourself open to seeing it in a different perspective.

What drove you to specialise in stone furniture? Tells us more about the design process?

Marble is ultimately nature’s art, and our collection is a collaboration between contemporary/minimalist design and nature herself. I see every piece in the collection as not just a piece of furniture, but an investment in an art form that offers our clients individuality and designs that last a lifetime. The journey we take our clients on from the initial slab selection to the installation is one that evokes fulfilment and joy like no other.

Whether it’s the clients first experience with us or they’re repeat customers, they still have that same reaction when they walk into their home and see their CN piece. Marble is the stone that just grows more beautiful over time!

Tell us more about the rare stones, specialist craftsmanship and why these two elements are so vital?

The collection has four signature stones; Calacatta Monet, Calacatta Viola, Arabescato Corchia and Travertine, all of which share one thing in common, their distinct characteristics and timeless aesthetic. These stones were carefully considered for their distinct patterns, colours and textures. We wanted to source truly unique and rare slabs that are exclusive to CN, allowing our customers to feel like they’ve invested in a limited-edition piece of art, that only they’ll have.

The beauty of what we do at CN lies in the relationship between the extraordinary natural stone that we source and the hands that transform it into the timeless pieces of furniture. The stone and the stonemasons are the two most crucial pieces of the puzzle and one cannot achieve without the other.

It’s our highly skilled stonemasons that understand the material more than anyone, they are the ones that take a raw  piece of stone and nurture it to take on an entirely new life form. The quality of the stone and the skill of the masons is what is at the heart of every piece.

Tell us more about the unique, luxury customer service you offer and why this is at the core of everything Collection Noir does.

The very heart of CN is quality; quality stone, quality craftsmanship and of course the same level of quality in the service our clients receive. These three elements are what make CN different.

In the world we live in now, everyone seeks that little slice of individuality which is why we believe the furniture one selects for their home should be no different, after all your home should reflect you. Our designs allow our clients to create truly bespoke pieces – all of which can be customised in size, finish, material and shape.

Another big part of what we do is bespoke furniture design. We love to work with our clients to develop pieces completely exclusive to them. Being able to create truly bespoke pieces for our clients and take them with us on the creative process fuels our creativity and passion to always push the boundaries of what’s expected. Limitation is not a word we believe in!

What’s your favourite piece in the collection and why?

My favourite piece has to be the new Roma dining table in Calacatta Monet. This design to me is multi-faceted, from the homage to ancient Roman architecture via the elegant tapered base, to the striking colours of the Monet marble which are reminiscent of a Monet watercolour painting. When the Roma is around not much else is needed! She really is a work of art and I am excited to see her take centre stage in our clients’ interiors.

What’s next for Collection Noir?

The year ahead will see us continue to develop our dining collection, with some really beautiful designs on the horizon, along with some very exciting interior design projects and potentially a team expansion which we can’t wait to share. I am also really looking forward to seeing where our service for bespoke commissions takes us and to be able to push the boundaries with new materials, what we can achieve, and hopefully to continue to exceed our client’s expectations.

For more information and to see the full furniture collection please visit collectionnoir.com.

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