F&P Interiors was formed in 2000 as Fabrics & Papers and has pioneered online sales of high-quality designer wallpaper, curtain and upholstery fabrics direct to customers.
Since then, it has become a one-stop shop for all furnishing needs, making the task of finding and matching the right fabrics and wallpaper to a chosen colour scheme stress-free.
As the company reaches its 25th year, it offers products from more than 120 leading independent design houses.
We sat down with founder Emma Vans Agnew to talk about the brand's carefully curated fabrics, wallpapers, furniture, paints, home accessories, interior design and made-to-measure services as well as how the industry has changed since the birth of F&P...
What prompted you to start an online interior design shop at a time when online retail accounted for 1% of total retail in the UK?
I wanted to open a shop, but with three small children and a menagerie of animals, it didn’t seem sensible. My husband suggested going online and, after chatting to a few suppliers, we decided to give it a go.
How did you start out?
Once we had a few suppliers on board and decided on a web designer, it was a question of putting all the products on the website. I worked from a small outbuilding at home (pictured further below). Each wallpaper and fabric had to be uploaded individually, but having to use dial-up connection to access the internet in those days meant it took several minutes for each item. Initially I worked on my own, but I soon realised it would take me months, so I took on my first member of staff.
Marvic Textiles – whose designs can be found in the country's most famous ancestral homes, including Buckingham Palace – was the first company to come on board. How did this come about?
I worked with Marvic when I was at Colefax and Fowler – particularly closely when we did work at Earl Spencer's house Althorp – so I reconnected with the team. It was wonderful that the owner Peter Afia was forward thinking enough to see the potential of the internet. When we spoke to other design houses about joining, it helped that Marvic had endorsed us, giving them confidence in us.
How long did it take to become established?
It was slow to start with, which suited me as I had a young family. We outgrew the "shed" within a few years and expanded into my home. Once we became too big for the boot room and utility room, we realised it was time to find separate premises. In 2011, we had a staff of eight and went from a sole trader to a limited company. At this time, we started to offer a more complete interior design service. In 2014, we then changed our name to F&P Interiors.
What led you to expand into home accessories and furniture?
Once we established our first small showroom, customers could come to us for advice and browse through our ever-expanding collection of sample books. Here we could show our expertise in made-to-measure services and so offer more soft furnishings. It was a natural progression to add cushions, throws, rugs, paints and lighting.
The time was right to create the F&P furniture range of sofas, chairs, headboards, ottomans and footstools. This led to us moving to our current, larger showroom in 2014, so customers can test the comfort of our furniture.
The furniture is designed for everyone and anyone who appreciates well-made, good-quality furniture that will last a lifetime. I feel the beauty of our pieces is that they work in most environments. Whether they look classical or contemporary will depend on the fabric choices.
What are your tips for choosing furniture pieces for your home?
It will always depend on how you are going to use them, so if you are looking for a new sofa for a family sitting room, comfort is top of the list. Ensure the size of the new furniture is going to work; mark out the floor where you are going to put the furniture to make sure the proportions are right for the room.
If it is a hall or bedroom chair, then it needs to look good and comfort is less of a factor as it won’t be sat on much. We also have different cushion-filling options to try out, so you can decide which is best for you.
How has the online interiors sector changed and how do you stand out?
None of the design houses had their own websites back then, and they were dubious about the internet. Now the majority have lovely websites. We are all much more engaged with online shopping and social media plays a big part in determining what people like and are looking for.
We love to work with our customers to find them the right products for their homes. We offer an all-round service – bespoke curtains and blinds, made-to-measure upholstery as well as reupholstery, together with a full interior design service, should a customer want it – so we sell anything from a couple of rolls of wallpaper to whole room schemes.
You now offer around 18,000 products, every item curated by you, with the help of a team of 10. What aspect of the business are you most proud of?
That we are still going after 25 years! When we started out, many people thought it wouldn't work. Fabrics are so tactile, plus you need vision, experience and design knowledge to use them to create a special interior. This is why I never wanted to be a point-and-click business. We are here to guide people through the process of decorating their homes.
How do you decide which products to include and which to exclude?
Mostly experience and personal taste. I don't want to offer anything I wouldn't have in my own home.
You and your team create interior designs for homes across the world. How has the process changed since you started out?
When we had Covid lockdown and everyone started using online meeting rooms, we came to realise we could help customers anywhere in the world without having to go to their homes.
What is the most rewarding part of your job?
Happy clients! Beautiful curtains and a comfy sofa can make all the difference to your life – walking into a room that you feel totally at home in.
What is the hardest part of your job?
Too many products. The reason everything on our website is curated is that there is too much choice.
What is your favourite thing about living and working in Sussex?
The countryside is beautiful, but we are still close enough to London. I also never like to be too far away from the sea.
Our wonderful interiors showroom is located at the foot of the South Downs, in Woodmancote, 20 minutes north of Brighton. It is an Aladdin's cave of fabrics, wallpapers, paint, rugs and home accessories from more than 120 design houses, both international and independent designers.
Visiting our showroom gives you the opportunity to view a number of designs from our exclusive F&P Sofas and Chair range. You can also try out your preferred cushion filling, browse our extensive fabric collection as well as discuss any design or bespoke size changes.
All items, including samples, can be ordered to collect in store or can be delivered to your door.