Liberty is selling a single collection of heritage woodwork reclaimed from its original Liberty & Co store on Regent Street, London - now known as Liberty House. Salvo is supporting their mission to rehome the two grand staircases and panelled entrance hall, which carries our Truly Reclaimed label to share the provenance and positive carbon consequence of choosing authentic reclaimed materials.
 
The rescue mission chimes with adventurous founder Arthur Lasenby Liberty, who pioneered reuse with the construction of his London emporium. The Tudor Building on Great Marlborough Street was made from reclaimed timbers from two ancient "three-decker" battleships. Records show more than 24,000 cubic feet of ship timbers were used, including their decks now being the shop flooring.
 
In 1875 Arthur Lasenby Liberty first opened his shop at 218a Regent Street with a £2,000 loan from his future father-in-law. Within eighteen months, he had repaid the loan and acquired the second half of the building. The business continued to thrive with the shop expanding to other properties along Regent Street, which was a Mecca for the fashionable shopper at the time. Liberty and Company soon established their reputation as a hub for the Arts and Crafts Movement supporting a roster of new designers and craftspeople. The allure of Liberty's curated collection of furniture, fabric and objets d'art from around the world captivated London society. As Oscar Wilde, a regular store client, wrote: "Liberty's is the chosen resort of the artistic shopper".
 
By the early 1920s, the Liberty complex on Regent Street was to be replaced by two new buildings. One on the same site and the other a mock Tudor construction on the neighbouring Great Marlborough Street, the two were to be connected by a footbridge over Kingly Street, which separates the properties.
 
The Tudor-style building that we recognise today as the Liberty department store was a passion project of the founder; the association of merchant adventuring of the Elizabethan era held a particular fascination to him. The store's unique layout was also Arthur's vision: three atriums surrounded by smaller rooms, complete with fireplaces and furnishings. He wanted to create a store that felt like home to his customers, so they could easily imagine the displays of furniture, carpets and ornaments in their own homes.
 
Liberty House was on Crown property, so the design had to conform to the approved style for the rebuild of Regent Street. There was much concern that the atmosphere of their old store would be entirely lost in cold lofty showrooms designed by Norman Shaw, the appointed architect for the rebuilding of Regent Street. Liberty chose architects sympathetic to their wishes, Edwin Thomas Hall and his son Edwin Stanley, who designed both the Tudor shop and Liberty House.They met the brief, complying with the Crown Estate’s requirements with a Renaissance-style building, while instilling the spirit of Liberty. The finished result was a distinct design of greater individuality than the other stores along Regent Street. Sadly, Arthur died before both buildings' completion, so he never saw his vision realised.
 
The construction followed the philosophy of the Arts and Crafts Movement, a celebration of fine artisan skills, individuality in design and high-quality materials. The builders, Higgs and Hill, are responsible for some of London's well-known buildings, such as the Tate Gallery and Victoria Station. The company's yard in Vauxhall had an onsite mill and multiple workshops; masons, carpenters, plasterers, joiners, plumbers, glaziers and priming shops. The workers were highly skilled craftsmen who carried out elaborate and often intricate work. The Liberty project gave the company a rare chance to showcase its skill, particularly in woodworking - demand for this type of work was rapidly disappearing.
 
The interior fittings of the store, such as the carved panels and pillars, were made by Liberty's own artisans in their Highgate workshop. The carving alone took a team of twenty craftsmen working for 18 months. A leading figure in wood carving and ornate stonemasonry, Laurence Arthur Turner, also worked on the project. He was elected Master of the Art Workers' Guild in 1922. Though his career is sparsely recorded, some famous commissions include Headley Court, where he upholstered the drawing room with limed chestnut Elizabethan jewel panelling, and the tombs of William Morris and Norman Shaw.
 
Liberty House's interiors held the same impeccable quality of material and craft as the Tudor shop, with perhaps a more restrained design. The Architectural World praised the new space when reporting the reopening in 1927; 'In Liberty's ground storey we read a solemnity, and almost bank-like strength and wellbeing.' It was noted at the time the design would cater very well for their male customers contrasting with the female side in the Tudor House.
 
The collection of historic woodwork for sale was carefully deconstructed from three floors of the Liberty House in the late 1990s - as the property changed from a department store with connected floors to multiple fashion shops. The company stored the staircases and entrance hall intending to reuse it in the upper storeys of Liberty House, but this was not possible, so Liberty has now placed the collection as a single lot on the market with the hope of seeing the woodwork reused in its entirety. Speaking about the reuse mission Head of Facilities and Property at Liberty, Bob Mills, commented, "The reclaiming of our heritage timber chimes with the adventurous spirit of Arthur Liberty, who was a pioneer in using natural materials and embraced the reclaimed wood that the store is made from. We are proud to be part of a project of this nature, preserving a part of Liberty's history beyond a store that is loved and known by so many."
 
Arthur Liberty understood the importance of connecting with his customers by creating characterful spaces that put shoppers at ease. His choice of reclaimed timber with built-in character and authenticity helped him communicate the essence of Liberty. It is a design choice still used in the store today. If you head to the Beauty Hall, you can see Salvo Code member Mongers Architectural Salvage's basin and pedestal - enjoying a second life displaying creams and lotions while saving 274kgCO2e.
 
The Truly Reclaimed label is designed to increase the visibility of reclaimed items and materials in public spaces to champion environmentally driven design and highlight the work of the reclamation trade. The label offers traceability and gives an immersive layer to storied pieces that have been rescued, like the staircases and panelling.
 
Visit the furniture department on the fourth floor at Liberty to see elements of the Truly Reclaimed heritage woodwork on display until 2nd August 2023. Who knows, on your next visit to Liberty, you may leave with a staircase…
 
Please get in touch with Salvo for sales enquiries.
 
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Image credits
1. Shoppers outside the Liberty & Co on Regent Street, late 1920s  © Liberty
2. Fabric block printing of Liberty’s famous floral designs © Liberty
3. View of the Tudor Shop during the construction. Photograph courtesy of Westminster City Archives, archive ref: Finding no: 788/128.
4. Higgs and Hill workshops at Vauxhall in the early part of the 20th century. Above: the blacksmiths’ shop. Below: Joiners’ workshop. Taken from Higgs and Hill group centenary magazine, courtesy of Westminster City Archives, archive ref: Finding no: 788/18.
5. Higgs and Hill Plasterers’ shop at Vauxhall in the early part of the 20th century. Taken from Higgs and Hill group centenary magazine, courtesy of Westminster City Archives, archive ref: Finding no: 788/18.
6. Views of Liberty House during the rebuilt. Photograph courtesy Westminster City Archives, archive ref: Finding no: 788/128.
7. Newly completed Liberty House on Regent Street. Photograph courtesy of Westminster City Archives.
8. Liberty & Co workshop taken during the rebuilt. Photograph courtesy of Westminster City Archives, archive ref: Finding no: 788/128.
9. Panelling and one of the staircases prior to the deconstruction c1998 ©Liberty
10. The historic woodwork in storage, waiting for reuse, 2023 ©Salvo
11. The 1920s staircase & entrance hall elements on display at Liberty ©Salvo
12. Truly Reclaimed heritage woodwork exhibited on Fourth Floor of Liberty ©Salvo
13. Detail of column casing exhibited at Liberty ©Salvo