An investment banking background is perhaps not what you would expect as you enter the vibrant space off of Shorts Gardens in Covent Garden. However, Luca Melchiorri Terribile explains to West London Living that a love of design and a family background in real estate, resulted in his involvement with one of the Seven Dials unique design gems.
The Do Shop was founded in 2006 by Andrew Ying to help people create their ideal lifestyle by mastering the space around them. Three years ago, wanting to expand the business, Andrew asked Luca to come on board as joint director of the company. Despite 14 years working in the banking industry, Luca’s family background in real estate had instilled interior design into his blood. Having built upon his own portfolio of properties, he felt that his involvement at the Do Shop would be the ideal complement. ‘It was just the perfect match… We met as friends and I was greatly inspired by his work’.
Having started out in Beak Street, the team moved to their current location in Covent Garden three years ago. ‘We love Covent Garden because we get a real mix of people here: tourists, people working here and people living here; which we really missed in Soho.’ They contribute in a balanced way to the shop where they work with buyer Fernando Gonzalez and Viet Nguyen, who focuses on marketing. They have seen a real shift in business in the last few years from purely private customers towards contractors, which has led to two new branches of the company – Do Contract and Do Masters.
‘The Do Masters scheme is how we have managed to be unique for these six and a half years… We are very generous with new designers. We love new designers – for us it is such a privilege to work with them’. It is notoriously difficult for new design talent to break into the market. It is tricky to get meetings with distributors and retailers who will then charge rental space to display products in-store. The Do Shop takes a refreshing stance on the entry of new talent to market. They are not only happy to meet with any new designers to discuss their products, but if they like their work they will offer them a special six-month Do Masters contract, where the designer will retain 90 per cent of profits. If the first six months are successful they will offer to take on the designer with a normal supplier contract.
Luca is quick to point out the work of Jade Barnes-Richardson, a real success story for the Do Masters programme. Six years ago she approached Andrew with her Hang on Wall Hanger (£68) and was taken on with a Do Masters contract. Her design has since been bought by Normann Copenhagen and although still on sale in the Do Shop, Luca insists that the real pleasure ‘remains for us that we have launched somebody. It is more that we can be happy that we have done something nice for someone else’.
Asked how they go about sourcing products, buyer Fernando sticks to four key criteria: beauty, functionality, simplicity and uniqueness. The final point seems to be one that they are really keen to drive home. ‘When you come here, you will see items that you won’t see elsewhere, whether that is in big shops like Conran, or our local competitors’. The shop maintains its unique flavour by several means. First of all, by encouraging new talent via the Do Masters programme and secondly by obtaining exclusivity in the area with larger suppliers. ‘If they don’t want to do that, I won’t go for it’. What’s more, with a handful of suppliers, they have managed to secure exclusivity for the entirety of the UK. ‘Of course we have some stock that other shops do, but if we see that it is very oversold in other shops, then we will drop the product’.
The Do Family look for inspiration from across Europe. Fernando is constantly researching new products, scouring blogs, shops, degree shows and design festivals across Europe. This year they have been most enthusiastic about the shows in Milan and Paris. Back in London, they participated in Design Junction and for the past six years have been part of the Icon Design Trail. When asked which item was his favourite, Luca really appeared to struggle – ‘One only?! There’s so many!’ however, he eagerly picked out the Jeeves ceiling light (£180), a multifunctional egg plate by Sena Gu (£55) and the new-in Frolla sofa (£590) – ‘Try it. You will never be able to get up’ – it was an unsettlingly accurate statement.
And which room in the house does Luca find the most fun to decorate? It was a rather stupid question to ask an Italian. ‘Kitchen. Definitely the kitchen. Because it’s so fun. Because I love food. An open plan kitchen; a space that also includes the table and the lights because it’s not just kitchen stuff I like, it’s the whole package. At the end of the day for me it is the most heartfelt room in the house. I come from an Italian background, so of course it’s all about the kitchen and the socialising with food, and inviting people’.
Beyond the wonderfully friendly reception, what really shines through is a real sense of fun, uniqueness of product, and a genuine care to culture innovation and new talent.
