Faces of Arlo: Matt Morfey
We’re a family business, first and foremost - and we feel family can take many forms. That ethos trickles down through all we do, across our HQ, workshop, and showrooms. We’re very lucky to have a whole lot of wonderful people making our work all the more enjoyable, day in and day out. So, we felt it was about time we introduced a few of them!
Meet Matt Morfey. They're the fearless leader of our Islington showroom - but they're also so much more! Read on to find out about the eclectic mix of experiences and proclivities (professional and otherwise) which makes them such an asset to the Arlo family…
Can you tell us a bit about what you were up to before coming to Arlo & Jacob?
Before coming to Arlo, I spent over 10 years in creative roles with Anthropologie and West Elm working with the visual teams to design inspirational spaces across their UK locations. I conceptualised and created installations, visual concepts and seasonal layouts as part of a wider team of creatives - eventually heading up the UK visual team with west elm where I was influential in the overall visual language for the brand’s European market.
These roles offered me invaluable creative development, which led me to take on additional freelance work with interior design studios, where I had the opportunity to work on a room design which featured in British Vogue.
Could you run us through your role here and what drew you to it?
My role with Arlo has been a revelation. Since joining the brand I’ve been given complete autonomy of my showroom in all aspects of the business. We are a small team of doers, meaning one day to the next my role gives me the chance to develop.
A day in the life of an Arlo showroom manager is always exciting. I manage a lovely team of passionate sales people, offering them guidance and support through their sales and professional development. We work together to offer our clients a completely tailored experience. Everybody has an idea of what their dream furniture purchase is and it is our job to fulfill that dream!
Do you ever find our customers influence your own personal taste in interior design?
Inspiration and influence is something I can take from anything, any day of the week! Walking down the street I might take influence from a wall or an interesting doorway, inspired by the formation or colours. Inspiration is everywhere.
I am lucky enough to meet lots of creative characters in our Islington showroom and my personal taste in interior design has seen an evolution in this time. Where I used to lean more into very modern and sterile interior spaces, I have come to embrace colour, texture and softer lines, with a focus on bringing a sense of serenity to my living spaces as well as others’.
What’s your favourite Arlo design?
It’s got to be Henry! He is the perfect blend of timeless style and comfort. He seamlessly sits with modern and traditional interiors, making him the perfect choice for any space. I love to see him dressed in one of our Scandi Linens, although he looks pretty magnificent in any fabric!
What would we find you doing on your day off?
You would probably find me rummaging through a book shop! I’m a big collector of books. Although I find it hard to find the time to read most of what I collect, they look wonderful in all their colour-coded glory in my bookcase at home.
I also love walking tours! The best thing about living in London is being able to join a free walking tour any day of the week and learn a little bit about the city’s history and its people. I wouldn’t live anywhere else!