Our schemes play a central role in shaping our showrooms, allowing us to evolve each space through considered design.
We spoke with Jayne Cross‑Hunter, Furniture Category Manager at McKenzie & Willis about how these schemes come together through a creative, hands‑on process that brings diverse perspectives into one cohesive vision. Read on as we take you through the journey of creating beautifully considered schemes that make a lasting impact in our showrooms.
The process begins in September for an April launch, with many moving parts coming together to create a carefully curated selection designed to sit beautifully in any home. As part of this, Jayne and her team travel internationally for their buying trip, selecting furniture for the upcoming winter collection. This hands-on experience allows them to see each piece in person, truly appreciating the craftsmanship and considering how it will work within the broader collection. Pieces are reviewed together, often displayed to visualise how they sit alongside one another, before discussing and refining the final selection. Once the pieces are selected, we move into the next stage—bringing them together to form a cohesive space.
Scheme creation takes place in our Christchurch showroom, where we bring together our interior designers from across New Zealand to collaborate and create. The process starts with the selection of 12 sofas which are shown in showrooms for the coming winter collection. Designers around the company are then invited to create a scheme around that piece, drawing on the latest trends in wallpaper and fabrics. Along the way, we consider key questions such as what the sofa represents, who the customer is, and the overall look and feel we want the scheme to convey.
This approach works incredibly well, consistently delivering successful schemes with a strong sense of cohesion. We’re very fortunate to be able to draw on the talent and creativity of designers from across the group. After creating the schemes, the interiors designers present each scheme to the wider group, receiving feedback and making refinements that ultimately strengthen and improve the final result. Once the initial concepts are complete, the schemes are refined by myself, alongside Karen Powers, our Group Design Services Manager. We ensure each scheme is ready to be presented in our annual scheme book, which is then shared with our showrooms so teams can showcase them in their own store.
As our New Winter Collection arrives, our showrooms begin to shed their previous look and transition into the new Winter season. Every April, furniture is repositioned, wallpapers applied, and the finer details start to come together. Our on-site workroom creates the curtains and cushions for each scheme, ensuring exceptional quality and attention to detail throughout. Once complete, one of the most rewarding parts is seeing how each showroom interprets the schemes, highlighting the versatility of our furniture and introducing thoughtfully selected design elements that reflect the unique styles and preferences of each region. We bring each scheme to life through filming and photography, creating content for both our digital and print marketing. Producing everything in-house allows us to stay closely involved throughout the process, maintaining a consistent eye for detail from start to finish.
We’ve been refining this process for years, and it continues to showcase the best of Furniture and Window Furnishings, as well as the depth of knowledge you’ll find in every showroom. We invite you to head in-store to your nearest McKenzie & Willis showroom to be inspired by our gorgeous schemes for yourself. Our consultants are on hand to help you refresh your interior for winter, whatever this may be.
