Loft Me // Mid century design at The Service Savile Row

When we were considering the interior design for The Service’s first physical space, we knew we needed to create a highly stylish yet inviting environment where people would want to sit, relax, chat and think. We wanted to imbue the space with the kind of elevated simplicity that the branding overall had established. In short, we needed it to feel contemporary and cool enough that our visitors would want to be seen there, but nostalgic and cosy enough that they would want to stay there.

Many elements combine to create such a space, from the colour on the walls to the pendant lights hanging from he ceiling. But the chairs on which people sit and the tables on which they rest their coffees are one of the most important things to get right.

We spent a long time scouring the web and scrolling through Instagram before one of our party happened upon LoftMe, an upholsterer and reseller of mid century furniture based just outside London.

Having seen LoftMe’s impressive collection on Instagram, we were excited to visit their warehouse in Lower Nazeing. Pulling up to the industrial estate on which the warehouse is situated, we briefly wondered whether our satnav had taken us down the wrong road. But then we spied a couple loading a beautiful pair of sage green Jindřich Halabala armchairs into the back of their Range Rover and we knew we were in the right place.

After viewing shelves and shelves of gorgeously restored pieces, we sat down with Wojciech, the company’s third generation owner, to talk about Loft Me, The Service and how incredible it would be to work together to furnish our first location.

Wojciech explained how it was his Grandfather, an artist, craftsman and the head of family who started LoftMe, and who still has a strong say in what the company does and how they do it. It’s evident that this remains family business run by people who care about honouring the designs of the past while preserving and restoring them for future generations to enjoy.

‘Our restoration process varies from piece to piece but in general includes a complete strip down of an item back to its basics. All the insides are replaced before we re-upholster them using the highest quality fabrics. Our main goal is to achieve a comfortable, ready to use product that keeps the exact shape and design in every detail as original.’

Among Wojciech’s favourite pieces, are the Jindrich Halabala loungers (pictured above) and the Easy Chair B-310 Var (shown below).

One of the most beloved models on the market, according to Wojciech, the loungers were originally designed in 1930 by Jindrich Halabala, a designer credited with ushering in the mass market production of furniture in his native Czechoslovakia. The iconic rounded armrests are made of a single piece of wood that has been bent using hot steam and special templates. Originally, the seat would have been stuffed horsehair (though Wojciech assures us that only foam is used today!).

Designed in 1966 by A, Dudka, the B-310 Var chairs were manufactured in a region of South Poland with a history for furniture production that dates back to XIV. This is where the world famous Thonet factory opened in 1881, which is most well known for its bentwood chairs and armchairs. Thanks to a new railway connecting Warsaw with Vienna, technological advancements came to the region and more furniture factories sprung up, including The American Furniture Factory by Morysa Lewkowicza and Furniture Factory Mazovia by Krone and Kofin. By the end of this period, the region was well established as one of the largest furniture producing regions in the world, even earning the title ‘Furniture Valley’.

Thanks to the generosity and enthusiasm of the LoftMe team, we’re thrilled to be able to showcase both of these designs, alongside other original mid century pieces, at The Service on Savile Row. All of the pieces in The Service are available to purchase via the LoftMe website.

Visit us today at No.32 Savile Row to see these and more at our coffee shop, exhibition and retail space.