Charmed by Chelsea: The Light Yard’s first showing at the RHS Chelsea Flower Show exceeded all expectations

After a frantic 6 weeks since Chelsea, we finally managed to speak with TLY owner Jeff Fuller about his time at the famous flower show…  
 
Hi Jeff! Welcome back from RHS Chelsea. Tell us, did it live up to all the fanfare?
It did – and then some! We had the highest of hopes ahead of Chelsea, but it still exceeded all our expectations.

Was it as star-studded as it looks on telly? 
Well, I’ve never seen so many celebrities in one place as I did on press day, and we were over the moon when Saira Khan and interior designer Isabelle Morley Fletcher joined as for the day as our VIP guests.

Saira is an absolute pleasure to chat with and totally down to earth. And it’s wonderful that she’s as big a fan of us as we are of her!

She champions British design and manufacturing, as does her interior designer Isabelle Morley-Fletcher. 

(Left to right Isabelle Morley Fletcher, Jeff Fuller, Saira Khan, Gwyn Carless) 

I won’t drop too many more names, but since we were a stone’s throw from Raymond Blanc’s incredible pop-up, Jardin Blanc, we managed to grab a photo with him, and a few other celebs too.

What happened after press day?
The next two days were open exclusively to RHS members, and we were delighted to speak with enthusiasts who really live and breathe all things plants and gardening. It was thrilling to meet so many passionate and knowledgeable people.

Over the three days in which the show was open to the general public, it was borderline manic! The show was busier than I could have imaged; yet the event managed to keep a wonderfully relaxed atmosphere.

Smiles could be seen in every direction. Personally I love that the show is outdoors and people are walking around with a gin, Pimms or ice cream! What's not to like?

Did visitors comment on The Light Yard’s presentation?
We were showered with wonderful feedback all around – which left us feeling elated! In particular our new Orbital pendants and floor lamps earned lots of approval, and many said they could not believe these stylish decorative lights could actually be used outdoors.

Our ECO City 350  and ECO City 700 lights picked up lots of interest, and the sustainable qualities of our MOSO bamboo products were also a talking point! Sustainability is one of our top USPs, and more and more people are keen to support products and companies that work to reduce supply chain and operational carbon emissions. 

One spectacular moment was when our stand was awarded four gold stars by the RHS (five is the max). The recognition we received from both organisers and visitors was very gratifying, and after months of preparation – from submitting our designs and the logistics of building the structure according to exacting specification to sourcing and looking after the hundreds of pounds’ worth of plants which were integral to its design – it was all well worth the effort!

I see you've formed a new collection on the Light Yard website…
We’ve added an all-new ‘Chelsea’ collection to our website, which will allow visitors to easily locate the exact lighting fixtures they previewed at the show. Also included are a number of lights which beautifully complement the selections from the stand, which could not be displayed at Chelsea due to space restrictions.

Has this experience lit a fire in you to present at Chelsea again next year?
Absolutely. We spent pretty much the entire show in fascinating discussions about bespoke garden lighting design for private residential projects and commercial projects, and these connections would not have been made outside Chelsea. I’d say it was a once-in-a-lifetime experience, but we’re already in early planning stages for next year! We simply can’t wait to do it all over again.

For more information on the RHS Chelsea Flower Show, visit www.rhs.org.uk/shows-events/rhs-chelsea-flower-show

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To speak with a member of TLY’s team, call +44 (0)330 2233 940 or email info@thelightyard.com.