Meet The Design Team
Together, they share lifetimes of knowledge
and are perfectly positioned to help with any query
Meet The Team
Together, they share lifetimes of knowledge and are perfectly positioned to help with any query
Director
Simon is our Managing Director and the heart behind the whole operation. Get to know him a little better in this Q&A.
How long have you worked in the industry?
All my life!
I was fortunate enough to grow up in a furniture family so even though I wasn't working, I was learning through osmosis.
Chaplins was actually founded in 1993 by my late father, James Chaplin. I took over the running of the company in 2005 after his retirement from the industry.
Where is Chaplins based?
Our main showroom is in Hatch End, Middlesex. Over the last two decades we've grown to over 25,000 sq ft of showroom space — a true one-stop shop where you can experience all of the best furniture and lighting brands up close.
Who inspires you?
There are a couple of pioneers of contemporary design who have all taught me something about how to approach life. From Vladimir Kagan with his youthful exuberance to Piero Busnelli who made me listen to the bells as our wine glasses toasted. All of these “great” men have one common trait, passion.
How do you decide what makes it in-store?
We work with hundreds of different brands, so we are continually editing the collections so that they stand together. However, we do have a couple of key criteira that each showroom style must meet. The first, it has to have it's own story. Something unique that can be told and cherished. It must also have longevity and a supreme comittment to quality.
What do you think is the most important element in a modern home?
Asides from comfort and quality, I think personality is really important. Chaplins was born from the desire to break away from a "one size fits all" mentality in interiors, so when creating a modern home, I think we should strive to include designs that are unique and have something original to say.
The Sales Team
Long time Chaplins Insiders will recognise many of the faces here. As the heart and soul of our showroom, most of our sales team have been with us since the beginning. Together, they have an encyclopaedic knowledge of the entire industry and a wide range of strategic specialities.
Ludovic Aublanc
Head of Creative Direction
Ludo is the one you go to when nothing less than French finesse will do. He’s also responsible for the look and feel of all our showroom studios.
Paul Hart
Head of Retail Sales
Paul has a penchant for Vespas. Something you'll discover if he ever drops by to deliver some samples.
Paul Hart
Head of Retail Sales
Paul has a penchant for classic Vespas. Something you'll discover if he ever drops by to deliver some fabric samples.
Paul Hart
Head of Retail Sales
Paul has a penchant for classic Vespas. Something you'll discover if he ever drops by to deliver some fabric samples.
Darren Smith
Head of Commercial Interiors
Darren is the practical one. He heads up all of our bespoke FF&E commissions, as well as overseeing some of our most challenging interior projects.
Loretta Tansey
Head of Online Sales
Loretta is a talented photographer who enjoys capturing people and places on film. She also looks after all e-commerce transactions and is incredibly diligent in making sure designs arrive exactly as expected.
Nilgun Johnson
Design Consultant
Nilgun, an architecture graduate turned fitted furniture specialist, loves to capture the world on her canvas when she's not crafting the perfect custom piece.
Melvin Brown
Design Consultant
In the hours that he’s not thinking about furniture, Melvin can be found whipping up Caribbean cuisine for his nearest and dearest.
Melvin Brown
Sales Consultant
In the hours that he's not thinking about furniture, Melvin can be found whipping up Caribbean cuisine for his nearest and dearest.
Melvin Brown
Design Consultant
In the hours that he’s not thinking about furniture, Melvin can be found whipping up Caribbean cuisine for his nearest and dearest.
Ewa Brodacka
Design Consultant
Whether it's the flair of her Salsa dancing or her room planning, our expert interior designer Ewa knows how to wow a crowd!
Marcus Chaplin
Design Consultant
Marcus is a trained musical theatre performer but has always had a love of furniture as the third generation of the Chaplins family.
Colin Mitchell
Design Consultant
Colin first cut his teeth in the competitive world of luxury bathroom before transitioning into design.
Monica Cha Cha
Design Consultant
Our studious Monica has taken the leap from flat-pack furniture to luxury lifestyle living. When not filling her brain with design knowledge, she's working out her body in the gym - visualising an Eames Lounge Chair!
Olivia Jones
Trade Sales Executive
Olivia is an integral member of our trade department. Ultra-organised and on hand to support the team, ensuring your project runs smoothly.
Michelle Nisbett
Trade Sales Manager
Michelle is our overseas specialist. She is unfazed by complex projects and is the secret weapon behind many of the world's most exclusive homes.
The Wider Team
James Press
Head of Web & Marketing
Since 2009, James has been responsible for making sure our products look as inviting online as they do in the flesh. When not reading through countless interior blogs he can be found trawling through eBay for his next vintage piece of design history.
Francesco Spiga
Logistics Manager
Frankie, our warehouse manager from Sardinia, is ultra-organized and pours his passion into every task. Having worked across various departments since joining, he has all the experience needed to ensure our logistics run like clockwork.
Charlotte Richards
E-com Executive
E-com is her expertise, but outside of the Chaplins web team Charlotte enjoys trying to read too many books at once and collecting bruises from a variety of sports and martial arts.
Jen Craven
Marketing Executive
When she's not taking care of the advertising and social media, you'll find Jen delving into the depths of history through her love of costume and architecture.
Georgia Mitchell
E-com Executive
When she's not perfecting products online or supporting our customers through web purchases, Georgia wows the Chaplins marketing team with her pitch-perfect recall of film scores.
Flora Tourmpesli
E-com Executive
A hero amongst spreadsheets and her beloved videogames, Flora optimises and maintains our library of iconic products with the same passion she takes to the world of pixels.
Ryan Smith
Digital Marketing & PR
An exhibiting photographer and part-time musician, Ryan has many years of experience traversing a multitude of creative passions including sharing his affection for interiors via our Blogs, Newsletters and PR.
Xavier Conroy
Trade Marketing Executive
Xavier is a model employee. Whether it is at Paris Fashion Week or keeping our dedicated followers up-to-date on the latest industry news and trends.
Miriam Scott
Customer Services Manager