Well done to our Ongar team for taking part in Time for a Cuppa in support of Dementia UK this week.
Through some exceptional baking, the team raised an impressive £220.00. A brilliant result for a cause that means a great deal to many of us.
Great work all round. Well done, team!
To donate, please click here.
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Marking World Environment Day, Showcase is proud to share Design Conformity’s latest report – a timely reflection on what it will take to unlock circularity across the European furniture industry.
The report sets out the regulatory and policy shifts needed to support long-term progress, while also recognising the organisations already embedding circular economy principles into their work and contributing to wider industry research.
It follows DC’s Circularity Champions event, hosted at our Smithfield HQ, where Showcase was recognised with a Circular Champion award. The accolade reflects the collective effort of our teams and partners to make more considered, circular choice as part of our everyday practice.
Receiving the award, Harry Hill, our Group Head of Sustainability & Social Impact commented:
“We are so proud to be recognised for our work in pushing circular economy. Our fantastic pool of suppliers enables this, of course, and we hope that Showcase continuing to challenge them will result in further success.”
Reflecting on the event, Harry says:
“As expected, the conversation around circularity – and the reality of implementing circular economy principles in our industry – was incredibly interesting, but what I was really impressed by was the level of dedication and social value built into circular processes. The pieces of the puzzle have been there for decades; we just need more widespread belief across our industry that the loop can be closed.”
Commenting on the pathway for circularity success in the European furniture industry, he adds:
“…A lack of standardised data remains the most significant challenge. Project sustainability goals differ at surface level, but the rationale remains the same: clients want to reduce their environmental impact.
Consistent, uniform product data reflecting a full furniture schedule would be a big step towards comprehensive, accurate project reporting that aligns with up and downstream reporting either side of our input…”
As World Environment Day reminds us, progress requires evidence, collaboration and industry-wide change. The Showcase group are proud to stand behind the principles of circularity, with recognition like this reinforcing the steps we’re taking alongside our partners to turn ambition into measurable impact.
To read the full report findings, visit: https://www.dccircularity.com/
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Two weeks on from Clerkenwell Design Week, and the impact is still being felt across Showcase.
For Fernanda Espidio, one of our Senior Designers, CDW remains an invaluable opportunity to experience furniture as it’s intended.
“It’s one of the valuable times you can properly engage with products beyond the visual,” she explains. “You can sit on them, touch them, compare pieces side by side… and really start to understand the differences – not just how they look, but in terms of tactility, softness, comfort.”
Those physical qualities, she says, play a big role in how a space ultimately feels, and they’re not something you can fully grasp on a screen.
That direct interaction is only part of the value. The week also opens up time for more meaningful conversations with both long-standing manufacturing partners and new suppliers.
“It’s often where ideas start to take shape,” Fernanda adds. “Through conversations, materials, and seeing how products are evolving – those relationships are a big part of how our projects develop.”
CDW also offers a live snapshot of where design is heading. From emerging colour palettes to shifts in materiality, these cues begin to influence how upcoming schemes are approached.
“We always come away with a clearer sense of direction,” she says. “And just as importantly, it takes you out of the day-to-day. Being surrounded by that level of creativity sharpens your eye and re-energises how you design as a team.”
Back in the office, those observations don’t sit in isolation. They feed directly into the work our team is shaping across sectors – influencing how we approach space, material selection, and the finer details that define the end experience.
It’s that ongoing exchange between industry insight and project delivery that keeps our design thinking considered, relevant and evolving.
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That’s a wrap on Clerkenwell Design Week 2026.
Once again, CDW delivered, with meaningful discussion spanning sustainability and circularity, workplace trends and what lies ahead for our wonderful industry.
Naturally, there was also time for a bit of fun along the way!
Thank you to everyone who made it such a memorable week. Until next time.
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A thoughtful and honest conversation on circular furniture, tackling both the opportunities and the realities.
It was a pleasure for Showcase’s Estelle Lee to join New Design Group’s ‘Remake, Reuse, Revalue’ panel at Clerkenwell Design Week this afternoon.
The discussion looked beyond intent, focusing on what it actually takes to deliver circularity in practice. From involving clients earlier and being more transparent as an industry, to recontextualising reuse for designers as a valuable and creative choice, not a compromise. Education remains key, particularly around cost, long term value, and the environmental impact that is largely defined at the design stage.
There was also a clear call for stronger collaboration. Open communication between designers, manufacturers, and industry peers is essential, whether that is sharing information needed to make reupholstery viable or collectively shifting perceptions of what “new” really means.
Ultimately, delivering meaningful change will require a shift in behaviour across the industry. But with growing momentum, greater manufacturer involvement, and a new generation challenging conventions, there is a clear direction of travel.
Thank you to the hosts Mick Jordan and New Design Group, fellow panelists Giles Dooley, Ric Frampton, David Bell, and Fitzroy Godfrey, and everyone who joined the conversation.
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This Clerkenwell Design Week, Showcase Sales Director and Co-owner Estelle Lee joins New Design Group’s panel, ‘Remake, Reuse, Revalue: The Future of Remanufacturing and Reupholstery in Commercial Furniture’ on Tuesday, 19th of May 2026 @ 12:45pm.
Hosted by Mick Jordan, Co-founder of Clerkenwell Design Week and Editor of Works magazine, the discussion explores whether reuse is driven by environmental responsibility, commercial sense, or both, and what a circular-first furniture industry could look like over the next decade.
A strong advocate for furniture reuse and reupholstery, Estelle brings a pragmatic, design-literate perspective, championing long-term value, lifecycle thinking and making good design last.
We can’t wait to see how the discussion unfolds.
For event information and tickets, click here.
#ClerkenwellDesignWeek #CDW2026 #CircularDesign #FurnitureReuse #Remanufacturing
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This year’s International Women’s Day theme, Give To Gain, recognises that progress often comes from people sharing their experiences, helping one another move forward and offering support at the right moment. These everyday actions quietly build confidence and opportunity for women in business.
Across Showcase Interiors and Showcase PSR, women at every level play an important role in how our work progresses. From design and project delivery to customer service, logistics, finance, HR, marketing and operations, they bring perspective, skill and judgement that shape the way the Group grows and how we support one another. Their influence is felt across offices, studios, sites and in our group‑wide relationships with clients and suppliers.
For International Women’s Day, we spoke with Estelle Lee, co‑owner of the Showcase Group. She reflected on this year’s theme through a moment that stood out to her. In 2025, Showcase introduced the Commercial Leadership Team at our Smithfield HQ. While the CLT is only one part of the wider picture, for Estelle it represented a milestone in creating visibility for women at senior level and guiding how the Group moves into its next chapter.
“Putting the Commercial Leadership Team in place was a really special moment for me. They are not only colleagues but friends as well. I know what they have been through to get to where they are as I have worked with them for 9 to 13 years. They made me incredibly proud as a business owner, sales director and as their friend.”
She also shared how meaningful it was for colleagues to see a woman in ownership and more women represented at senior level within the Group.
“I am very proud of sitting in that seat and I know how important it is for the world we live in and the business we have to have female representation at that senior level. The industry recognised that. Even outside the business, my peers have commented on that.”
Estelle reflected on the pressure many women still feel to be louder or more visible in order to be taken seriously. She noted that effective leadership should not depend on adjusting your personality to be heard.
“We should not have to shout louder. My colleagues at SLT level would say that I am not a wallflower! Thankfully, I have never felt treated differently within Showcase as a woman doing my job, but it happens, and that is very real.”
Her point reflects a wider experience for many working women. Progress includes creating environments where women can lead in ways that feel natural, without needing to reshape themselves to meet expectations that were never designed with them in mind.
This focus on steady, thoughtful support is echoed group‑wide. As Clare McGlone, Head of People, notes:
“At Showcase, we believe empowerment is built through action. Our commitment to fair pay, flexible working, safe reporting channels and transparent career pathways reflects our belief that everyone deserves the opportunity to grow and lead. By strengthening our policies and investing in supportive structures, we are creating a workplace where people feel valued, respected and able to thrive.”
She also highlighted that meaningful progress takes time.
“Progress happens when support is intentional. Through clear policies, inclusive leadership practices and a culture that prioritises wellbeing and respect, we are working to ensure every individual has the tools and environment they need to succeed.”
Give To Gain reflects the idea that progress is something shaped collectively. There is still work to be done, but moments like these show the value of collaboration, shared experience, visibility and thoughtful support. They highlight the difference it makes when women are seen, heard and encouraged to lead in ways that feel true to them.
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This week the Showcase retail team are in Düsseldorf, Germany, exploring EuroShop – The World´s No. 1 Retail Trade Fair – the global festival for retail innovation.
With more than 1,800 exhibitors from over 50 countries, it’s an incredible opportunity to discover the latest thinking in shopfitting, technology, marketing, lighting and customer experience.
If you’re attending, look out for Paul Barker, who’s enjoying his visit by networking, meeting new connections and catching up with good friends across the industry.
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Showcase Presents: COR Residency at Showcase Smithfield — 2nd–13th February
We’re delighted to open our Smithfield office to COR, visionaries of premium German design and artisanal craftsmanship, for an exclusive studio residency.
Visitors will be immersed in COR’s beautifully engineered designs and exceptional craftsmanship, discovering what makes their approach to form and function so uniquely compelling.
Open House Pop‑In Times:
• Tuesday 3rd February, 08:30–10:30 or 16:30–18:00
• Tuesday 10th February, 08:30–10:30 or 16:30–18:00
To schedule your experience, please book here.
For visits outside these times, please contact Francesca: f.zavieh@cor.de
We look forward to sharing the COR experience with you.
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We are delighted to have supported The Architectural Review and the W Programme by hosting two of their industry-focused lectures in our Smithfield office.
The W Programme, run in partnership with The Architectural Review and Architects’ Journal, champions gender equality, diversity and inclusivity across the built environment.
Welcoming these conversations into a space intentionally designed for learning, collaboration and creative exchange made the events all the more meaningful, including:
• The autumn lecture, led by architect–engineer–writer Smith Mordak
• The winter lecture, delivered by Huda Tayob, Senior Research Tutor at the Royal College of Art
It’s a privilege to see our event space become a platform for thoughtful, educational dialogue – brought to life by established professionals and emerging voices shaping the future of architecture and design.
There is something quietly powerful about learning within an environment crafted for that very purpose: a place where design thinking, curiosity and community naturally converge.
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