Luxury home decor stalwart Designers Guild on brink of collapse

A luxury home decor company which features homewares designs inspired by the interiors of Britain's royal residences is on the brink of collapse.

Sky News has learnt that Designers Guild has filed a notice of intention to appoint administrators less than 18 months after its brand and intellectual property assets were bought by London-listed Dunelm.

The brand's operator, which is owned by founder Tricia Guild and chief executive Simon Jeffreys, is said to have been hit by a challenging trading environment and rising costs, leaving it with no alternative but to line up insolvency practitioners.

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Interpath Advisory has been put on standby to oversee the administration.

The crisis comes 16 months after Dunelm acquired the Designers Guild brand and licensed it back to its founder.

It designs, wholesales and retails products including upholstery, furnishing fabrics, and home accessories, and traces its roots back to 1970.

Some of its ranges are inspired by the interiors of Buckingham Palace and Windsor Castle.

A spokesperson for Designers Guild said: "We have been working with our advisers for a number of months as we assess and explore a range of potential investment options which will help drive the next phase of our strategy.

"In recent days, we have taken legal steps to protect the position of the business while discussions with potential investors continue. In the meantime, it remains business as usual and we will provide further updates in due course."

One source said that Interpath, which has been running a sale process for several months, remained in talks with at least one bidder about a potential sale of the brand.

(c) Sky News 2026: Luxury home decor stalwart Designers Guild on brink of collapse