A 3 Minute Story | The Personal Touch with Account Manager Ken

Interview with Account Manager, Ken

Q1 | Ken, introduce yourself. Who are you in relation to the Viajante 87 project?

Hi everyone, my name is Ken, Account Manager at inside Out Contracts, and I wanted to tell you how the personal touch is added to the story behind this exciting new project we have just completed, Viajante 87.

For a little about me first, I have worked on a wide range of projects, from hotels, higher education establishments, offices, care homes, cruise ships - we have supplied furniture in almost any commercial sector you can think of. The largest sector of work we have completed though will be in the hospitality sector, specifically restaurants and bars which leads me nicely onto this project.

Q2 | What is Viajante 87?

Viajante 87 is a luxury cocktail bar, set in a trendy corner of Notting Hill. To take you back to the beginning of this project, we were contacted by a design firm that we had never worked with before in the summer of 2022, and talked about transforming the site in a little under 6 months from the start to end.

The owner already has a beautifully designed restaurant opposite the bar called Los Mochis so had a good relationship with the design firm, in short we had to deliver on time and the spec to be to a high standard.

Q3 | Can you tell us about the start of the project?

We received an enquiry via the website in the summer of 2022, so this project is quite a quick turnaround as the venue opened in January 2023.

We first needed to understand the space and the transformation they wanted to achieve so visited the site with our Design Manager. Apart from precisely measuring up , it would help us to see what challenges we would be faced.

Q4 | How did you help make the interior designer’s vision become a reality?

Firstly, I needed to listen to the designer and understand the space they had and the transformation they were wanting to achieve.

There was a large support column which had an impact on the space planning This was turned into a feature by having a bespoke circular banquette seating fitted which is removable at night should more floor space be needed. To allow bar space and allow for the maximum amount of football, we decided not to wrap the seating all the way around the column.

We modified our existing (and hugely popular) Marshmallow stool, to be larger and with a back that effectively transformed it into a lounge chair.

Installation day is always exciting, as we then get to see the vision really take shape.

We work hard to overcome challenges such as site delays that are out of our power, and this is always appreciated by the clients which is why we work with some of the biggest design companies in the industry.

This is the first project that we worked with the interior designer & architect on and I am pleased to say we are working with them on future projects in 2023.

I always look to build long-lasting relationships with clients but it always feels so great when clients want to work with you again. Perhaps this is why I am so busy!

Q5 | What does Viajante 87 look like today?

Viajante 87 opened in January 2023 and looks like an intimate cocktail bar, set in an exclusive and trendy area of London.

The interior designer selected a great colour scheme; with dark walls, a range of green and gold selected for the seating fabrics and materials. When you walk in, it really feels opulent but intimate.

Seeing the transformation from the original concrete walls in 2022 to the finished venue… it just feels so spacious. The curves in the banquette seating really work alongside the variety of marshmallow stools, to create intimate drinking areas.

The fabrics look great and I am pleased that the stitching is such high quality.

It was great working with Hamilford Designs on this project. For a complete fit-out from beginning to end, there’s a thousand and one things to consider and is worked on at the same time, all whilst trying to juggle multiple companies and their varying timeframes and requests. It’s a real labour of love that sometimes doesn’t get appreciated so I wanted to finish by thanking them for working on this project.