Q&A: Emma Finch, Hector Finch Lighting
As British lighting manufacturer Hector Finch prepares to celebrate its 25th anniversary, we caught up with Director Emma Finch to talk hotel projects, industry-wide challenges and its ongoing global expansion.
How would you describe Hector Finch’s approach to designing new products?
Hector’s approach is very organic. He uses a library of research references and often responds to customer requests for specific applications, particularly for bathroom and task lights. His knowledge of the challenges in production techniques greatly informs his commissioning of prototypes and the consideration of materials.
Can you tell us about some of the hotels you’re currently working on?
We recently shipped 270 of our Beehive Ceiling Lights to a Four Seasons in Hawaii and as well as supplying Claridges with our Shagreen Table Lamps. Currently, we have orders going through for the Gleneagles Hotel in Perthshire and have been asked to supply samples to two major hotels in London, opening in 2022.
How important has the hospitality sector been to Hector Finch since its inception?
We have worked a lot with smaller boutique brands like Hotel du Vin and The Pig Hotels, but also with global operators such as Rocco Forte Hotels. We have supplied lights to the likes of Soho House, Zannier Hotels, Browns, Claridges and The Connaught too. The hospitality sector has grown year-on-year since 2010 and is an increasingly important aspect of the business. We tend to sell to the smaller boutique brands but are increasingly being asked to quote for bigger projects, particularly for bathrooms and public areas.
What are the biggest changes you’ve seen in lighting design over the past 25 years?
Having started off life as a business buying, restoring and selling antique lights (many of them from the early 20th century), we have evolved into a company that designs its own range of lighting products for interiors and exteriors alike. There has been a move towards a more pared back aesthetic, largely due to the influence of contemporary Italian and Scandinavian design, and a tendency to embrace more natural materials. Coloured glass for instance has become very popular over the last 10 years or so, and so has the trend toward multiple shades on a single ceiling plate. These are used in place of more traditional chandelier styles.
What’s next for Hector Finch? And would you say now is a good time to expand?
We are opening a showroom and factory shop at our new HQ in Herefordshire and continue to expand our reach in North America, Europe and beyond. We are also are taking more processes in-house, particularly finishing, so we have better control of our lead times and are not so reliant on sub-contractors. Throughout all of this, we’ll keep doing what we do best – supplying specifiers and designers with beautifully finished, classic light fittings – produced in the UK and Europe by artisanal manufacturers – that are built to last.
For more information about Hector Finch and its range of lighting collections, visit www.hectorfinch.com
