Soane Britain
Soane Britain is a London-based manufacturer of luxury British-made furniture, lighting, fabrics, wallpapers, and rattan products, founded in 1997 to serve interior design professionals, luxury hospitality projects, and high-net-worth residential clients through trade, bespoke, and DTC channels.
- Company typePrivate
- Founded1997
- HeadquartersLondon, United Kingdom
- Headcount51–100
- GTM typeB2B and B2C
- OfferingHardware or Manufacturing
What Soane Britain does
Soane Britain is a London-based manufacturer of luxury British-made furniture, lighting, fabrics, wallpapers, and rattan products, founded in 1997 by Lulu Lytle and Christopher Hodsoll. The company serves three primary customer groups: interior design professionals (through a global trade account programme with trade pricing and free samples), luxury hospitality and commercial clients (hotels, restaurants, private members clubs), and high-net-worth residential consumers. Its portfolio spans 751+ designs across tables, seating, storage, mirrors, lighting, textile collections, and a dedicated rattan range, with named enterprise customers including Ralph Lauren, Soho House Group, Bentley Motors, Rosewood Hotel, Chiltern Firehouse, and Mandarin Oriental Guangzhou.
The company's technology centres on traditional British craft rather than digital systems: hand patination, lost wax casting for lighting, rattan weaving, natural upholstery using graphite latex, coconut coir, and organic British wool (fire-retardant chemical free yet compliant with UK fire regulations), and flat-bed silk screen printing. Soane operates six wholly owned in-house workshops across the UK (Leicester for rattan, patination, and upholstery; Dorset for chair making; Castle Cary for hand-sprung upholstery; Suffolk for cabinet making acquired in 2026) and works with a network of 42-43 independent British craft workshops. The company has explicitly rescued critically endangered crafts, including the UK's only active rattan weaving workshop (Heritage Crafts' Red List) and a cabinet making business in operation for 65 years.
Soane's business model is multi-channel: direct-to-trade sales through global trade accounts, direct-to-consumer e-commerce launched in 2020 (starting with the Susie Bag), bespoke commercial project work, and custom fabric/wallpaper commissions. Products are made-to-order, pricing is quote-based and not publicly disclosed, and distribution runs through two flagship showrooms (Pimlico Road, London, currently closed for renovation until January 2027; Madison Avenue, New York, opened 2023) plus the e-commerce site. The company is privately held and founder-owned, with no disclosed external funding rounds or revenue figures, and has been recognised with the Walpole Award for Luxury Craftsmanship (2010) and an OBE for founder Lulu Lytle (2024).
Soane Britain firmographics
Firmographics- Name
- Soane Britain
- Legal name
- Soane Britain
- Website
- https://soane.co.uk
- Company type
- Private
- Founded year
- 1997
- Operating status
- Operating
- Headcount range
- 51–100 employees
- Short description
- Soane Britain is a London-based manufacturer of luxury British-made furniture, lighting, fabrics, wallpapers, and rattan products, founded in 1997 to serve interior design professionals, luxury hospitality projects, and high-net-worth residential clients through trade, bespoke, and DTC channels.
- Ownership category
- akta.pro rank
Soane Britain industry classification
Industry- Product category
- Luxury Furniture and Lighting
- NAICS
- Household and Institutional Furniture Manufacturing (33712), Upholstered Household Furniture Manufacturing (337121), Nonupholstered Wood Household Furniture Manufacturing (337122), Other Furniture Related Product Manufacturing (3379)
- SIC
- Household Furniture (2510), Retail-Furniture Stores (5712)
- akta.pro primary industry
- Upholstery & Furniture Textiles Manufacturing (Upholstery Fabrics/Slipcovers) (IMAOAKAD)
Keywords
Where Soane Britain is headquartered
LocationHeadquarters
- HQ city
- London
- HQ country
- United Kingdom
- HQ region
- Europe
Offices6 records
Markets served
Soane Britain business model
Business model- GTM type
- B2B and B2C
- Offering type
- Hardware or Manufacturing
- Cost components
- Personnel, Supply Chain, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Infrastructure, Others
Revenue model
- Furniture Sales: One-time product sales of furniture including tables, seating, storage, and mirrors. Products are made-to-order in Britain using traditional craftsmanship. Pricing varies by material and finish selection.
- Lighting Sales: Sales of ceiling lights, wall lights, table lamps, floor lights, and shades. Over 300 lighting designs available with customisation options for finishes and technical requirements such as bathroom-rated lighting.
- Fabrics & Wallpapers Sales: Sales of printed fabrics, woven fabrics, wallpapers, and leathers. 372+ designs available. Custom service allows commissioning alternative print colours or base cloths. All fabrics and wallpapers are PFAS-free.
- Rattan Collection Sales: Sales of rattan furniture and lighting. 179+ designs including tables, seating, storage, lighting, mirrors, and miscellany. Products incorporate natural rattan material with various finishes.
- Commercial Projects: Bespoke and custom commissions for hotels, restaurants, and commercial interiors. Recent projects include collaborations with The Craigellachie Hotel, Chiltern Firehouse, Rosewood Hotel, and Mandarin Oriental. Volume pricing available for larger projects.
- Soane Bespoke Service: Consultative service for individual commissions drawing on Soane Britain's design expertise. Made-to-order designs can be customised using extensive in-house materials and specialist finishes, or clients may use their own materials.
- Custom Fabrics & Wallpapers: Custom service across the fabrics collection allowing clients to commission alternative print colours or base cloths for bespoke textile solutions.
Pricing tiers
| Model | Billing | Price |
|---|---|---|
| Other | Pay-as-you-go | Trade Account Pricing |
Go-to-market motion3 records
Distribution channels5 records
Marketing channels6 records
Soane Britain product offering
Product offeringCore offering
Soane Britain designs, manufactures, and sells handcrafted British-made luxury furniture (tables, seating, storage, mirrors), lighting (ceiling, wall, table, and floor lights), rattan furniture and lighting, and printed fabrics and wallpapers. The company operates its own craft workshops in Leicester (rattan weaving, patination, lighting assembly, upholstery), Dorset (chair making), Castle Cary (upholstery), and Suffolk (cabinet making), and serves both trade interior designers and end consumers through showrooms in London and New York plus a direct ecommerce channel.
Product overview
Soane Britain offers a portfolio of handcrafted furniture, lighting, fabrics, and wallpapers all made in Britain. The core collection spans: Furniture (tables, seating, storage, mirrors, miscellany), Lighting (ceiling, wall, picture, table, floor lights, and shades), Fabrics & Wallpapers (printed fabrics, wallpapers, and leathers using traditional methods), and Rattan furniture and lighting from their Leicester workshop. Services include Soane Bespoke for custom commissions, Custom Fabrics & Wallpapers for colour/ cloth modifications, Commercial Projects for hospitality/retail, and a Trade Program for design professionals. The company also publishes books and supports the Karun Thakar Fund for textile studies.
Differentiator
Problem solved
Functional benefit
Products and services
- Furniture Handcrafted British-made furniture spanning tables, seating, storage, mirrors, and miscellany, produced in Soane's network of UK craft workshops using traditional techniques.
- Lighting British-made lighting designs including ceiling lights, picture lights, wall lights, table lamps, candle lights, floor lights, and shades, requiring skills from precision engineers, foundrymen, and traditional patinators.
- Fabrics & Wallpapers Printed fabrics, wallpapers, and leathers made in British mills and workshops using traditional methods such as screen printing and Surflex printing, with 372+ designs; all fabrics and wallpapers are PFAS-free.
- Rattan Collection Furniture and lighting crafted from rattan, featuring 179+ designs including tables, seating, storage, lighting, mirrors, and miscellany, produced at the only active rattan weaving workshop in the UK.
- Soane Bespoke Consultative bespoke service for individual commissions, allowing clients to customise made-to-order designs using Soane's in-house materials and specialist finishes, or to use their own materials.
- Custom Fabrics & Wallpapers Custom textile service allowing clients to commission alternative print colours or base cloths for bespoke fabric and wallpaper solutions.
- Commercial Projects Bespoke design services for commercial interiors including hotels, restaurants, private members clubs, and retail spaces, with volume pricing and project management support for larger projects.
- Trade Programme Trade account programme for interior design professionals worldwide, providing access to trade/net pricing and up to 10 free samples per order, with international sample shipping available.
Quantifiable outcome
- Grown from 2 rattan makers in 2011 to 18-19 today
- +5 more outcomes
Companies that use Soane Britain
Customer profileNamed customers13 records
Segments3 records
Ideal customer profiles3 records
Soane Britain technology and API
TechnologyTechnology focussed No
API detail
- Has API
- No
- API docs
- API detail
Core technology
AI maturity
App detail
Feature5 records
Soane Britain partnerships and signals
Strategic signalPartnerships
Eleven partnerships are on record, tiered secondary, minor and core.
- Charlotte JohnstonesecondaryArtist Charlotte Johnstone collaborated with Soane on a fabric collection in 2024-2025.
- Viola ShackletonsecondaryNeedlework artist Viola Shackleton collaborated with Soane on a fabric collection in 2024-2025.
- Better CottonminorSoane achieved full transparency and traceability of all raw cotton fibre back to country of origin. All printed cotton base cloths are Better Cotton certified since 2024.
- Adam BraysecondaryInterior decorator Adam Bray collaborated with Soane on a fabric collection in 2023.
- Edward Barnsley WorkshopsecondarySoane collaborated with the Edward Barnsley Workshop for the launch of the Easy Chair in 2022, combining expertise in traditional furniture making.
- V&A MuseumcoreSoane Britain initiated The Karun Thakar Fund in collaboration with the V&A Museum. The Fund offers scholarships and grants up to £10,000 to students, researchers, and practitioners working on Asian or African textiles and dress studies. The V&A holds one of the largest museum collections of Asian textiles and dress in the world, providing academic resources for the programme.
- Karun ThakarcoreTextile collector Karun Thakar collaborated with Soane Britain and V&A Museum to establish The Karun Thakar Fund. His extensive private collection spanning Asian and African textiles serves as a point of departure for the Fund's educational mission. Soane draws inspiration from textiles in his collection for fabric designs.
- Sophie CoryndonsecondaryBotanical artist Sophie Coryndon collaborated with Soane on lighting and fabric designs in 2020, bringing her expertise in botanical artistry to interior products.
- David NettosecondaryInterior designer David Netto collaborated with Soane on lighting designs in 2020.
- Duro OlowusecondaryFashion designer Duro Olowu collaborated with Soane on a fabric collection in 2020, bringing fashion sensibility to textile design.
- Mark D. SikessecondaryInterior designer Mark D. Sikes collaborated with Soane on the Lily Collection of rattan furniture in 2016.
Scale indicators9 records
Recent moves9 records
Expansion highlights6 records
Soane Britain competitors and assessment
Company assessmentBroad incumbents
- Zoffany: British premium fabric, wallpaper, and trim brand with heritage positioning, sold through interior design trade accounts globally. Comparable as a UK premium fabric and wallpaper brand with trade distribution and custom colour services, operating as part of the larger Sanderson Design Group portfolio.
- Farrow & Ball: British heritage maker of paints and wallpapers, with a strong interior design trade programme and a global showroom presence. Comparable as a UK heritage craft-based wall coverings brand with trade-account distribution and high-end residential/hospitality customer overlap, but operating at substantially larger scale than Soane.
- Morris & Co. Heritage British textile, wallpaper, and home furnishings brand operating under William Morris heritage IP with global distribution through showrooms and trade accounts. Comparable as a premium UK fabric and wallpaper maker serving interior designers and residential customers, though at considerably larger scale.
Direct peers
- de Gournay: British-founded luxury hand-painted and chinoiserie wallpaper atelier serving ultra-high-end residential and hospitality clients globally, including hospitality projects comparable to Soane's commercial footprint. Comparable as a luxury British craft-based wall coverings maker working with top interior designers on prestige hospitality and residential commissions.
- Benchmark Furniture: Sustainability-led British furniture maker producing handcrafted upholstered and timber furniture for residential, hospitality, and commercial interiors. Comparable to Soane as a UK craft-furniture manufacturer serving the interior design trade, with similar commitment to sustainable materials and bespoke production.
- Cox London: UK luxury furniture, lighting, and mirror designer-maker combining metalwork, gilding, and bespoke production, founded by Chris Cox. Comparable as a UK-based luxury designer-maker with strong interior design trade following and high-end hospitality and residential clientele.
- Porta Romana: UK-based luxury maker of furniture, lighting, and home accessories with a strong emphasis on British craftsmanship and bespoke finishes. Directly comparable as a UK luxury lighting and furniture maker serving interior designers, with similar brand-led positioning and custom finish programmes.
- Another Country: British contemporary furniture and lighting brand making handcrafted wooden and upholstered pieces using sustainable materials and traditional joinery. Comparable as a UK-based designer-maker furniture brand targeting design trade and luxury residential, with similar ethical-sourcing narrative to Soane.
- Julian Chichester: British luxury furniture and lighting designer and maker founded in the 1980s, with showrooms in London and presence in high-end residential and hospitality interiors. Comparable as a UK luxury furniture maker serving interior design trade with similar bespoke and custom services to Soane.
- Cole & Son: British heritage wallpaper and fabric maker established in 1875, producing luxury wallcoverings for high-end residential and hospitality interiors. Directly comparable to Soane's fabrics and wallpapers collection, with similar heritage positioning, trade accounts, and bespoke custom colour services.
Market position
Strengths5 records
Weaknesses5 records
Competitive moat5 records
Key risks6 records
Key highlights7 records
Customer concentration
Soane Britain social profiles
Digital presenceSoane Britain compliance and trust
Trust signalCompliance1 record
Soane Britain financial estimates
Financial estimateRevenue estimate
Valuation estimate
Soane Britain leadership team
Management profileNumber of profiles
Profiles2 records
Soane Britain subsidiaries and ownership
Company hierarchySubsidiaries6 records
Soane Britain funding detail
Funding detailFunding overview
Funding rounds
Investors
Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Soane Britain M&A and investment
M&A and investmentM&A
Investments
M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Frequently asked questions about Soane Britain
What does Soane Britain do?
Soane Britain designs, manufactures, and sells handcrafted British-made luxury furniture (tables, seating, storage, mirrors), lighting (ceiling, wall, table, and floor lights), rattan furniture and lighting, and printed fabrics and wallpapers. The company operates its own craft workshops in Leicester (rattan weaving, patination, lighting assembly, upholstery), Dorset (chair making), Castle Cary (upholstery), and Suffolk (cabinet making), and serves both trade interior designers and end consumers through showrooms in London and New York plus a direct ecommerce channel.
Is Soane Britain a public or private company?
Soane Britain is a private company. It is classified as founder individual operated bootstrapped and is currently operating.
When was Soane Britain founded?
Soane Britain was founded in 1997. It employs 51 to 100 people.
Where is Soane Britain based?
Soane Britain is headquartered in London, United Kingdom, in the Europe region.
How does Soane Britain make money?
Seven revenue lines are on record. Furniture Sales are the primary driver. The others are lighting Sales, fabrics & Wallpapers Sales, rattan Collection Sales, commercial Projects, soane Bespoke Service and custom Fabrics & Wallpapers.
Who are Soane Britain's main competitors?
Broad incumbents on record are Zoffany, Farrow & Ball and Morris & Co.. Direct peers are de Gournay, Benchmark Furniture, Cox London, Porta Romana, Another Country, Julian Chichester and Cole & Son.
Does Soane Britain have an API?
No public API is recorded for Soane Britain.
What industry is Soane Britain in?
Soane Britain's product category is Luxury Furniture and Lighting. Its primary akta.pro industry code is IMAOAKAD, Upholstery & Furniture Textiles Manufacturing (Upholstery Fabrics/Slipcovers). Its NAICS code is 33712 and its SIC code is 2510.