UK: Furniture and fit-out company David Phillips Furniture Limited has filed a notice of intent (NOI) to appoint administrators.
The company has described the decision as a “strategic move” to explore financial opportunities, which could be in the form of new investment, and has confirmed to SAN that it is still trading.
According to sources close to the matter, SAN understands that a decision is yet to be made whether David Phillips will be put up for sale, or whether the company will cease operations with the intention of starting fresh.
David Phillips was incorporated in 1998, initially providing furnishing services to London landlords.
In 2007, the company acquired interior procurement firm Perspective Living Ltd before launching its own furniture rental service in 2010.
A second acquisition was made in 2015 of the interior design studio Milc.
More recently, in 2020, David Phillips introduced a take-back service to repurpose, reuse and recycle furniture. The next few years saw the company expand internationally with a showroom opening in Hong Kong (2021) and Dubai (2023), as well as setting up an Australian arm of the business (2023).
The Global Living Company, a newly-established interior fit-out company for the private residential sector, has acquired David Phillips Australia (DPA). The acquisition is unrelated to the NOI.
DPA will now operate as The Global Living Company Australia under the leadership of group CEO Nicholas Gill (former CEO of David Phillips) and Melissa Gries as managing director, who originally launched DPA in 2023.
Writing on LinkedIn, Gill said: “I’m delighted to announce officially the launch of The Global Living Company. We’ve been working hard on this new business for the last nine months, and are now firmly established in the UAE (Dubai), Australia (Melbourne) and the UK (London).
“We’ve just announced the acquisition of David Phillips Australia, the business that we set up two-and-a-half years ago, and have partnered with Hive Interiors in Dubai. We have a strong pipeline of business in both countries and in the UK.”
Highlights:
• David Phillips has filed a notice of intent to appoint administrators, citing the move as a strategic effort to explore financial options, including potential investment.
• The company remains operational with no confirmed decision yet on whether it will be sold, shut down, or restructured for a fresh start.
• David Phillips has a 25-year history marked by key acquisitions, the launch of a rental service, and recent international expansion into Asia, the Middle East, and Australia.
• David Phillips Australia has been acquired by The Global Living Company, a separate development unrelated to the NOI, and will now trade as The Global Living Company Australia.
