de Gournay selects Focus SB for VIP Shanghai showroom

Posted in Products on 21 October, 2019

de Gournay Shanghai has selected Focus SB’s Prism electrical accessories to adorn its luxurious hand painted wallpapers displayed in its VIP showroom, resulting in a delicate visual fusion between the two leading high end British brands set to delight Chinese buyers.

With an unrivalled reputation for its hand painted wallpapers and fabrics since 1986, de Gournay sought to find only the best in electrical accessories available in China’s market today, choosing Focus SB’s high quality Prism hand finished clear plate to stylishly and discreetly complement its beautifully choreographed VIP Shanghai showroom displays.

The first in Europe to achieve license to design, manufacture and export its products to China in 2017, Focus SB dazzled visitors at the first ever China International Import Expo in 2018 with its Horizon minimalist 1.5mm thick metal switches and sockets. This was followed by showcasing its ‘royal standard’ collection of customisable precious metal plates in rose gold, 24K gold and platinum at Design Shanghai 2019 for the first time, featuring striking displays beautifully complemented by de Gournay’s exquisite hand dyed Pineapple Damask wallpaper on Gun Metal dyed silk.

Recently specified for VIP lounges at Pudong Airport Satellite Terminal, Shanghai, Focus SB has seen a notable increase in the number of Chinese interior designers seeking to specify the company’s hand finished luxury metal plates, having never before been able to acquire an equivalent as standard compared with Europe. The company’s distributor partner in China, Kursel Ltd, has announced that due to unprecedented interest in Focus SB’s precious metal bespoke sockets and switches in Asia, products from the company’s extraordinary collection are available via its Shanghai Office.

With a heritage that is steeped in traditional handcrafting, Focus SB has been dedicated to manufacturing electrical wiring accessories of unparalleled quality for 40 years. The company’s unique capability for offering extensive plate options and a bespoke service has consistently won high praise from a variety of clients including those specifying for high-end residential, commercial, luxury hotels, superyachts and royal palaces. The brand still uses ‘primitive’ manual processes to polish and process each of its metal plates in the UK.

In Europe Focus SB’s products are seen as ‘wall jewellery’ by the design industry, as there are similarities in techniques when making metal switches, sockets and other electrical accessories to those used for designing and crafting customised jewellery.

Notably, Focus SB is the first and only British and European manufacturer licensed to export its switch-plates to China, boasting the widest range of plates and finishes conforming to the China Compulsory Certificate (CCC mark); outstripping all other electrical wiring accessory manufacturers based in China.

Although Focus SB has a long history as a traditional British manufacturer, the company is open minded to considering future potential global opportunities. Duncan Ray comments: “Similar to how we started and established our business in the Middle East over the past 20 years, without doubt China is a top market for us. We have also begun product research and development for a Smart Control System which we’ve found is very necessary for China’s market. We also think the experience of entering China’s market is something that we can replicate in other countries and regions in the future.”