At your service

A new online community is celebrating the craftmanship on view in hotels and restaurants

LONDON CRAFT WEEK returns to the capital on Wednesday, when workshops and showrooms around the city will open their doors to the public to reveal the skills and craftsmanship that go into making their products. The now-annual event began in 2015 with the aim of putting craft in the spotlight and highlighting its connection with luxury brands. This year, it coincides with the launch of an online store that focuses specifically on hard-to-find products from high-end hotels and restaurants.

The site, named The Room Service, is founded by Sophie Coryton, a former barrister who came up with the idea while searching for a lamp that she had spotted in a hotel. Her aim was to create not just an online shop, but a community where hoteliers, restaurateurs and interior designers can foster craft by sharing information about the artisans they admire and employ.

‘In the past 10 years we’ve witnessed a movement in the foodie world towards provenance – a restaurant or hotel’s credentials are enhanced by its ability to talk about the origins of its food, especially if it’s locally sourced,’ says Coryton. ‘We’re setting out to do the same for interiors, giving a voice to craftspeople and designers whose names are often lost in commercial spaces.’

Hotels and restaurants that have revealed their little black design books for the site’s launch include Fera at Claridge’s, Pollen Street Social in London and the Beaverbrook in Surrey. Among the artists and designers represented are Christopher Howe (furniture and fabrics), Hamish Mackie (sculpture) and Kirsten Hecktermann with her distinctive, embroidered cushions. theroomservice.co