Exclusive Q&A: Tom Ailes on Umbrella+Friends MCR and the Future of Furniture Consultancy

As Umbrella Furniture expands its presence in the North with the opening of its Manchester office, it is also growing its collaborative approach through Umbrella+Friends – a carefully curated network of furniture brands brought together to support architects and designers with specification, product expertise and project delivery.

In this exclusive Q&A, Tom Ailes, Regional Sales Director at Umbrella Furniture, discusses the launch of Umbrella+Friends MCR, the value of a dedicated Manchester presence, and why strong partnerships are becoming an increasingly important part of successful commercial interior projects.

Tom Ailes, Regional Sales Director at Umbrella Furniture (left of image)

1. Please could you introduce yourself, your role at Umbrella Furniture, and the experience you bring to the team as Regional Sales Director based in Manchester?

Tom Ailes, Regional Sales Director,Manchester at Umbrella Furniture within the Wagstaff Group. My role is to develop Umbrella as a significant furniture consultant within the northern regions. To build relationships with small and large A&D practices alike, win business, deliver brilliant projects and grow the brand.

My experience in Manchester definitely revolves around knowing the market and the network well, how it operates differently to London and the rest of the country and where the opportunities are. I’m from Manchester which gives me first hand local knowledge, I work with a really  supportive team plus I am really resourceful and dedicated to generating success

I also bring an understanding of how to maximise budget and bring the designers imagination to life without sacrificing their vision: thinking strategically on where the budget needs to be used and where we can be smart.

2. What does the opening of Umbrella’s Manchester office mean for the business, and how will having a dedicated presence in the city help you build stronger relationships with the regional A&D community?

I think a second hub for Umbrella Furniture show’s Wagstaffs commitment and support for Umbrella as a service. We have a really unique offering amongst the dealer industry and this venture signifies we want to continue and grow that offering that to designers and architects. Having two UK offices simply shows we mean business.

3.  Umbrella describes itself as an extension of an architect or designer’s practice, so how does your role in Manchester help strengthen that consultancy-led approach for clients in the North?

Over the last couple of years, I’ve come to appreciate just how much designers carry beyond the design itself. They’re often the last point of call for decisions, expected to have every answer, frequently stepping into a PM role even when one exists, and held accountable for far more than the design alone. Our ambition with Umbrella Furniture is to mitigate that as much as we can, particularly on the furniture package. Designers already have enough to manage, so knowing the FF&E pack is fully covered lets them focus on what they do best, and that’s better for the project overall.

Icons Of Denmark

4. Umbrella Furniture, part of the Wagstaff Group, is product independent and works across a wide range of global furniture brands, but the “Friends” concept feels more personal and curated; could you explain who the Friends are and how this part of the business has developed.

We’re genuinely independent and will always put the right solution first, but for larger events where we want to showcase the best of what’s out there, we align with a breadth of brands that collectively illustrate that moment in the marketplace. Umbrella+Friends brings together Umbrella as the facilitator and manufacturers who want to work closely with us to bring their product and story to the interior design community.

Umbrella+Friends is an annual event in London, in its eighth year, and each edition, be it London or now Manchester, gives us the chance to work with new and exciting brands. For this event particularly, I wanted to work with brands I either have a strong relationship with personally, love the product range of, know would resonate well in the North, or that complement everyone else involved.

That really showed on the day. Every brand had its own approach, but the whole concept worked in unison.

Norr11

5. How does Umbrella select the brands, makers or design-led businesses it brings into its Friends network, and what qualities are you looking for beyond the products themselves?

For Umbrella+Friends MCR, it was very much a continuation of that thinking, but also about bringing in brands with little or no presence in the North, or in the UK for that matter. It’s about giving designers and architects here access to great products and ideas they might not otherwise see, people who are genuinely eager to be shown new and innovative solutions.

6. How do these relationships with your Friends support Umbrella’s wider furniture consultancy, procurement and installation offer?

Having worked in this industry for nearly seven years now, I’ve learnt that what we actually offer is a service, not just a physical product. Working closely with brands like the partners involved in our event only deepens my own knowledge, helping me better understand what designers and end users are actually looking for and need.

Eikund

7. How do you work with your Friends in practice, from early conversations and product knowledge through to specification support and project opportunities?

Strong product knowledge is essential on my end, and because the Friends understand what I need to know most, they can tailor their approach around the projects and clients they know I’m working with. On larger projects, we’ll work together too, whether that’s sharing information or providing direct support. Having that strong working relationship also means I can rely on these brands from the outset, and count on them if anything needs resolving along the way.

8.  Your recent Manchester event and presence at Clerkenwell Design Week both created opportunities to connect your Friends with the A&D community; what do these showcases offer that is difficult to achieve through a traditional supplier introduction?

Firstly, it’s a soft introduction, which is always a nicer way to start a relationship. We have physical products for the A&D community to see and experience firsthand, and because designers’ time is so scarce, getting a range of brands together in one room, like we did, offers a really high return for everyone involved.

Andreu World

9.   Looking ahead, how would you like the Friends network to develop, and what role do you think these kinds of collaborative relationships will play in the future of Umbrella Furniture’s work with designers and clients?

Longer term, I think this kind of collaboration will become even more important. Designers and clients are looking for partners who can offer more than just a product, they want knowledge, reassurance and a joined-up approach, and that’s exactly what these relationships let us provide. The more we can connect brands doing genuinely good work with the people who need to see it, the more value Umbrella Furniture can add to a project from day one.

Our thanks to Tom for sharing his time and insights for this exclusive interview, offering a closer look at Umbrella+Friends MCR and Umbrella Furniture’s collaborative approach to supporting architects and designers.

Photo credits: Son Of Jack Photography