British designer Christopher Guy Harrison has helped define the luxury furniture and home decor industry since the 1970s. Today, he’s continuing to influence trends with his signature infusion of elegance and class.
Harrison was introduced to design early on, but it wasn’t until he helped his stepfather build a home on the French Riviera as a teenager that something clicked. During that time, he saved up every dollar he made, opened a store in Provence, and eventually began designing his own line of mirrors.
As they say, the rest was history.
Today, Harrison is an internationally-acclaimed designer who continues to garner inspiration from the people, places, and things he sees during his travels. Coco Chanel is also a constant source of inspiration. Harrison once said, “I ask myself “what would Coco Chanel’s home look like?’ and then I base my designs from that.”
Clean lines, curvature, the highest quality materials, and an easy vibe characterize Harrison’s work throughout the Christopher Guy brand.
An International Presence
Harrison’s incredible designs grace the CG Headquarters in West Hollywood, California, and in several showrooms across the United States and around the world, including High Point, New York, and Las Vegas.
The High Point showroom, CG’s newest space, is particularly impressive due to its tall ceilings and grand entry. This grandeur is due to the fact that the showroom is located in an area that was once a parking garage. Only Harrison could envision such an elegant, breathtaking display from a blank, concrete canvas!
While at High Point in 2018, Harris noted that the space “provided a sense of entry and arrival” that made him feel like he was in a place of reverence. He made his dreams a reality when he brought a touch of New York City’s 5th Avenue to the middle of North Carolina.
Stellar Collections and Standout Pieces
Since everything designed by Christopher Guy is timeless, elegant, and effortless, it’s hard to pinpoint a single collection or product that stands out. However, Harrison has been busy creating some phenomenal new designs in his traditionally popular categories that are worth mentioning.
Staying true to his past, Harrison continues to add to his mirror collection. Mirrors were the first products he designed for market back in the 1970s, and a constant in his line. CG mirrors feature his signature curvature and metallic glamour, and the newest additions to the line are modular to adapt to his client’s unique design needs.
To give his customers design options for the entire room, Harrison recently partnered with rug and carpet powerhouse Nourison to create a mix-and-match line, The Christopher Guy Rug Collection by Nourison. Although the line is pricepoint-friendly, it still features CG’s signature high-quality materials and craftsmanship.
Regardless of the piece, Harrison’s work is all about elegance, with hints of femininity. His keystone product, the Chris-X chair, infuses these elements in an enduring design.
A Realistic Approach to Design
While Harrison’s elegant designs are noteworthy on their own, it’s his realistic approach to the changing marketplace that proves the CG brand is destined to stand the test of time.
For starters, Harrison understands that he must continue to adapt his showrooms to meet ever-changing consumer needs. Every few seasons, the CG team entirely revamps the showrooms to garner new attention, such as by adding an upscale hospitality area for guests looking for an “experience,” and adding more global-inspired designs.
Another way he’s staying realistic is by focusing on color as much as design. Harrison understands that sometimes, color is more important than the items themselves, and that colors need to work together in harmony. To ensure a harmonious color scheme, Harrison focuses on neutral backgrounds with small pops of color, particularly in his rug, art, and decor lines.
And finally, Harrison is gearing up to work with the next generation of consumers through his “clicks and mortar” approach. Building on the reality that millennial consumers are just as likely to shop online for luxury furniture as they are in-person, Harrison developed a shopping experience tailored to this growing market segment that includes both online and physical retail locations. The Christopher Guy website also hosts a helpful design tool for consumers and fellow designs to help guide their creative process.
Designing for the Future
With timeless designs and an eye for what’s to come, Christopher Guy Harrison epitomizes the ultimate designer.
“We’re always thinking about what the next trend is,” Harrison told House Tipster.
We’re certainly glad he’s leading the way!
