Elmwood opens interiors division

Leeds consultancy Elmwood will launch a new interiors division tomorrow headed by two ex-Din Associates designers.

Elmwood Interiors, which will trade under the Elmwood banner, is a joint venture between the consultancy and Kirstie Moon and Ken Wingate.

Elmwood managing director Jonathan Sands says the new division is the next step in the group’s growth. The consultancy has this year jumped 18 places in Design Week’s Top 100 (DW 7 April), with turnover up ú540 000 to ú1.95m in 1994 from ú1.49m in 1993.

“We’ll be offering a totally integrated offer, from corporate identity and own brand through to interior design,” he says. “We have a full order book until autumn already.”

Moon’s departure from Din is amicable, with Din director John Harvey suggesting that Moon contact Sands on her pre-arranged move to Leeds. Elmwood had been looking to launch an interiors division for two years, but had problems “finding the right calibre of person to set it up”, says Sands.

Moon and Wingate have designed projects for fashion retailers Episode, Jesire and Envy Workshop at Elmwood while discussions for setting up the venture have been finalised. “We haven’t pinched any of Din’s clients and don’t see ourselves doing so,” says Sands.

The new division launches at the bi-annual meeting of Totem, the European network jointly founded by Elmwood in 1991. The network now includes five joint ventures in Europe.