Harry Grenfell

Harry has been intrigued by the Arts since a young boy, his love of the practical involvement in three dimensional Art developed accidentally at school. He was signed on for a ceramics GCSE rather than Fine Art. As it happens a very happy mistake as Harry’s passion for 3 dimensional and colours built with his knowledge of ceramics and glaze.

After his degree at Art at Central St. Martins Harry travelled to the far East, ultimately to study the Japanese porcelain. An eye opening experience to learn the amazing skill behind these works and also to absorb the culture and the architecture of the East. On return he began what would be an 8 year career at Sotheby’s auction house specialising in Textiles and English Furniture. 

This experience bolstered his interest in design and gave him huge insight into the textile world. It was whilst at Sotheby’s he met Joshua Lumley who mentored Harry in textiles. Harry would visit Josh at his studio in Kent where they struck up a lasting friendship and on leaving Sotheby’s in 2018 Harry approached Joshua with his idea of creating Ottomans using unusual and interesting textiles and weavings which would not be generic. Harry designed the Ottomans to have concealed drawer compartments, and created the range of designs for turned legs which are more modern and enigmatic to suit these rare works.

Josh Lumley

Josh grew up immersed in the art and auction world, a third generation expert and valuer, but the first in his family to specialise in Oriental and European rugs and textiles. He always enjoyed the thrill of finding something beautiful and old, and the very productive decade that he spent at Bonhams, Phillips and then Sotheby’s helped him garner the experience and knowledge necessary to set up on his own, which he did in 2004. Since then he has built up a wide range of clients and always searches for the rare and the beautiful, Joshua has a network of auction and trade sources all over the world and exciting new acquisitions are added to his inventory every week. He has a reputation for finding extraordinary things, and many rare and early rugs, tapestries and textiles have passed through his hands and are now cherished in private collections.

Joshua exhibits three times a year at The Decorative Antique & Textiles Fair held in Battersea Park, an environment that has stimulated his love for other disciplines within the antiques business and made him think imaginatively about re-purposing rugs and textiles for other uses, for example as large floor cushions. Taking this idea further has lead to a collaboration with his friend and former Sotheby’s colleague Harry Grenfell and an exciting new venture, using beautiful and unusual textiles and kilims to upholster large ottomans, designed by Harry.