Chelsea Textiles has opened a new showroom on the second floor of The Fine Arts Building in Manhattan, doubling the size of their previous space on the building’s sixth floor. The showroom’s residential feeling echoes that of Chelsea Textiles’ Pimlico Road shop, uniting the brand’s flagships in London and New York.

To mark the occasion, friends of the brand, collaborators, and members of the design community gathered to mingle, dance, and explore the new showroom. Guests stepped into a world of the old-school glamour of a classic New York evening, with martini trolleys gliding through the room to the sounds of live jazz music flowing from a baby grand piano. It wasn't just a party – it was the beginning of a new chapter, and the night sparkled with celebration.

Chelsea Textiles director, Mona Perhagen, and design director, Jenny Simpson, enlisted the help of the British firm Sims Hilditch to successfully realize interior architecture that allows their collections to breathe, reflecting the best of Pimlico Road as well as the spirit of elegance and intimacy that were the hallmarks of the New York showroom that Jed Johnson and Alan Wanzenberg designed for them in 1996.

“We had outgrown our space, as our business and collections expanded,” says Jenny Simpson. “When the company started thirty years ago, our focus was faithful interpretations of seventeenth and eighteenth-century fabric designs and needlepoint cushions. Over time, we’ve added furniture, wallpaper, trims and accessories. We now have mid-century modern, faux bamboo, English & French Country and Bobbin furniture, as well as our Gustavian collections. We’ve collaborated on textiles with designers such as Alidad, Neisha Crosland, Patrick Kinmonth, Kit Kemp and Robert Kime. We want to create an ambiance that expresses our aesthetic and inspires our clients.”

Stepping inside feels less like entering a showroom, and more like being welcomed into a grand London home. The new 4,000 square foot space is made up of six principal rooms and a long, library-style hallway, designed to offer both inspiration and a moment of calm away from the city’s pace.

In Chelsea Textiles’ signature finishes, hand-brushed paint, softly textured Venetian plaster and detailed millwork add depth to the architecture. Every surface and corner has been carefully considered, resulting in designs that stands the test of time. Similar to the collections, craftsmanship takes precedence, and guests are invited to explore and experience each room at their own pace.

The foyer sets the tone. A grid of 18th-century Swedish royal portraits hangs against a Damask wallpaper designed in collaboration with Patrick Kinmonth, known for his work in set and interior design. It’s a quiet threshold from the bustle of the street to the calm of the rooms beyond.

The sitting room follows, where tall curtains soften the light from the street-facing windows. Walls are upholstered in Chelsea Textiles fabrics and finished with their own passementerie. Antique furniture, a Swedish Haga chandelier, a Jamb chimneypiece, and paintings including two from the Circle of Melchior d’Hondecoeter speak to the brand’s long-standing appreciation for historical detail and craftsmanship.

At the heart of the showroom, two large worktables are framed by wings of embroidered fabric. This is where designers can spread out, collaborate with clients, and work alongside the Chelsea Textiles team in a setting that feels both considered and welcoming.

Three rooms in enfilade at the far end of the showroom present Chelsea Textiles’ collection of hand-crafted furniture and accessories. The spaces are layered with art and objects, including 20th-century Swedish paintings by Einar Jolin, works on paper and prints by Max Ernst and Le Corbusier, and a sculpture by Arman. A large Serge Mouillé wall light lends shape to the mid-century pieces, while vintage rugs by Märta Måås-Fjetterström anchor each room with texture.

“We firmly believe that you must live with art, and we always bring that into our showrooms,” says Mona Perlhagen. “We want to show how our pieces will live inside houses.”

A long-standing collaborator and renowned English brand, Robert Kime is represented by Chelsea Textiles in New York. The new showroom offers a dedicated space to show their collections. Filled with draped fabrics, upholstered furniture, wallpaper, lighting and an evolving selection of antiques, it reflects Kime’s richly layered, lived-in aesthetic. The showroom’s sense of flow is both inviting and deliberate. A long library hall draws you back toward the front, its shelves filled with plains and textures in a palette that complements the embroideries, along with Chelsea Textiles’ checks and small-scale patterns across fabric and wallpaper — the signature designs that allow Chelsea Textiles to live comfortably in every room of the house. 

CHELSEA TEXTILES
232 E. 59th Street
Second Floor
New York, NY 10022

IMAGES FROM THE LAUNCH PARTY