ABOUT KIRSANOV

KIRSANOV grew from decades spent working on high-end residential projects, a lifelong interest in furniture and fine finishing, and years spent buying and restoring antique furniture.

Over time, that experience also brought frustration. Exceptional antiques have become increasingly difficult to find, increasingly expensive, and too often compromised by deterioration, alteration or poor restoration. I found myself drawn to pieces that possessed extraordinary design and character, yet frequently required considerable work to make them suitable for everyday use.

Years spent travelling and working internationally — from Portugal and Brazil to Japan, Europe and Asia — introduced me to remarkable traditions of cabinetmaking, carving, upholstery and decorative arts. I encountered designs, materials and techniques that had evolved over generations, many of which remain every bit as relevant today as when they first appeared.

KIRSANOV emerged from a simple idea: to bring these influences together, reconsider exceptional furniture from different periods and cultures, and make it available for contemporary living, without the limitations and compromises so often associated with the originals.

A Recognisable Eye, Not a Recognisable Style

I have never been particularly interested in interiors that conform to a single period or decorative style. The rooms I find most appealing are those that feel collected rather than coordinated — spaces that have developed through curiosity, travel, experience and individual taste.

A Brazilian lounge chair from the 1970s might sit beside a Portuguese bureau, a classical Klismos chair or a contemporary handwoven rug. They need not match. What matters is how the pieces relate to one another through proportion, material, craftsmanship and character.

This is the philosophy behind the KIRSANOV collection. Some pieces are interpretations of historical designs, others combine influences that might never previously have met, and some are entirely original. I also develop fitted furniture and individual pieces for particular interiors.

I am not trying to establish a recognisable furniture style. Rather, I hope to establish a recognisable eye — a consistency of judgement that allows very different objects to belong together.

Materials, Craftsmanship and Restraint

I have always believed that good furniture should be as satisfying to touch and use as it is to look at.

Solid timber should have substance and character. Leather should become more beautiful with age. Bronze and brass should feel authentic, while fine upholstery, natural textiles and carefully selected finishes should contribute something beyond their immediate appearance.

Yet expensive materials alone do not make exceptional furniture.

I have little interest in decoration for its own sake. Elaborate carving, gilding, veneers and decorative metalwork can be wonderful when they belong to the design, but just as often a simple form, beautifully proportioned and properly finished, is considerably more compelling.

The form must work first. Materials and decoration should reinforce it, not disguise its shortcomings.

Bringing the Right People Together

One of the great advantages of working internationally is discovering just how much specialist knowledge still exists within traditional craft centres.

A workshop skilled in fine cabinetmaking may not be the right place for upholstery. A specialist in bronze casting may have little interest in timber construction. Exceptional rug weaving, carving, joinery and finishing each demand different capabilities.

I see no particular reason why everything should be made in one factory, or even in one country.

My role is to identify the right craftspeople for each commission, bring their capabilities together and ensure that the finished furniture reflects the original design intent.

That involves much more than placing an order. Materials must be selected, proportions resolved, construction methods considered, finishes specified and the many details that distinguish good furniture from mediocre furniture properly understood.

It is an approach informed as much by my years managing complex residential projects as by my interest in furniture itself.

Made After It Is Wanted

KIRSANOV is built around individual commissions rather than speculative inventory.

The collection begins with furniture I would want in my own home — pieces I have discovered, reconsidered or designed because I believe they deserve to exist. I am not particularly interested in filling a catalogue simply for the sake of offering more choice.

When a client commissions a piece, I effectively manage its creation on their behalf.

Working from an established KIRSANOV design, or developing something more individual, we can consider dimensions, timber selection, upholstery, finishes and other details to suit the intended setting.

I coordinate the appropriate workshops and specialist craftspeople, oversee the development of the commission and work to ensure that what is ultimately delivered lives up to what was originally envisaged.

For the client, this offers access to distinctive designs, materials and craftsmanship without having to navigate the complexities of commissioning furniture internationally.

It also allows us to undertake pieces that might make little commercial sense within conventional furniture retail, but which are entirely worthwhile when made for somebody who genuinely wants them.

Ultimately, a drawing or a beautiful image is only a promise. The physical object must justify it. The joinery, weight, finish, comfort and everyday function must all stand up to scrutiny. Ideally, the finished piece should be more satisfying than the image that preceded it.

A More Personal Approach to Furniture

I believe the best interiors are assembled over time, not purchased as complete collections. They reflect the lives and interests of the people who inhabit them, often bringing together objects that have little obvious connection beyond the pleasure they give their owners.

That is the sort of interior KIRSANOV exists to contribute to.

Through KIRSANOV, I bring this approach to Kazakhstan and the wider Russian-speaking market, offering distinctive furniture for people who share my appreciation of individuality, natural materials and fine craftsmanship.

Making things I love. Making them properly. Making them for people who love them too.