Future uncertain at £10m interior design firm

18th June 2009 | interior design | There are question marks hanging over West Midlands interior design firm Connections in Design, with conflicting reports over whether the firm is continuing to trade.

Sources close to the firm contacted the Furnishing Report earlier this week saying the company had gone into administration on Friday, but owner Dawn Kitchener denied this, saying ‘it had not yet been confirmed.’

The main switchboard at the firm was not being answered on Monday, while the number went straight through to an answerphone message on Tuesday and Wednesday, with a recording saying the office was closed. During several attempts today (Thursday), the phone continued to ring without answer.

Connections in Design’s latest accounts, for the period up to the end of June 2007, show the firm recorded a pre-tax loss of £117,000 on sales of £9.7m. The prior year, it lost £300,000 on sales of £7.9m.

Accounts for 2008 were due to be filed by the end of April – but Companies House records show they are now overdue.  It is thought the firm employs somewhere between 70 and 100 people.

Dawn Kitchener was unavailable on her mobile when the Furnishing Report tried to contact her today.