Lucky Seven Interview with: Virginia’s Furniture Hire

One of the brilliant furniture hire companies we love to work with is Virginia’s Furniture Hire. Their collection of pieces more often than not chimes with exactly what our clients are looking for. Here we catch up with Ginny to really pull out the sofa cushions and discover more of what’s underneath the brand.

How did Virginia’s Furniture Hire begin?

Virginia’s Furniture Hire began with a run-down cottage, a love of restoration, and countless hours spent sourcing furniture and objects that made a space feel lived-in, personal and calm. Creating a home taught us that the pieces surrounding you shape how you feel, not just how a space looks.

That belief was reinforced when planning our own wedding. We wanted a celebration that felt meaningful and authentic, furnished with character rather than dictated by trends. At the time, the event hire market offered little beyond uniform, functional furniture, practical, but lacking warmth, story and individuality. There was a clear gap for thoughtfully curated pieces that could transform occasions into spaces people truly connected with.

Those lived experiences led us to create Virginia’s Furniture Hire in 2012, a business built to offer an alternative to conventional event furniture. We set out to provide collections that are timeless yet versatile, blending natural and reclaimed materials with antique, one-of-a-kind, and more modern contemporary pieces. Our aim is to help wedding couples and party hosts create environments that feel natural, well thought out, and full of feeling.

What were some of the biggest challenges in the early days?

In the early days, one of our biggest challenges was building the business alongside full-time careers, which meant evenings, weekends and early mornings were spent sourcing furniture, preparing orders and delivering to events. Balancing paid work with a growing business required commitment, careful planning and a willingness to take things step by step.

A very practical hurdle was logistics. At the start, we owned only a small collection of chairs and relied entirely on Greg’s work van to transport them. Every delivery was carefully planned around limited space, time and resources, but this hands-on approach allowed us to learn the realities of event hire from the ground up.

As demand grew, so did our ambitions. We began receiving enquiries beyond our local area, with events across London, Yorkshire and further afield. This marked a turning point for the business. Investing in our first dedicated vehicle was a significant leap, but it enabled us to operate more professionally, expand our collections and confidently take on larger, more distant events. It also sparked the idea of opening an additional branch, laying the foundations for the UK-wide business we are today.

Can you share a milestone moment that really shaped the direction of Virginia’s Furniture Hire? 

A defining milestone for Virginia’s Furniture Hire came when we were asked to furnish almost an entire large-scale glamping site at Glastonbury Festival. At the time, the scale and quantity of furniture required was well beyond anything we had taken on before and beyond what our existing stock and resources could comfortably support.

It was a pivotal moment. We had to decide whether to stay within our comfort zone or take a calculated risk. Believing strongly in the long-term value of the opportunity, we chose to invest in the business, borrowing funds to significantly expand our collection so we could fully meet the client’s requirements.

The project pushed us operationally and financially, but it proved transformative. The increase in stock not only enabled us to deliver the Glastonbury project successfully, it elevated the scale of events we could confidently service going forward. Almost overnight, it put us on the radar of planners and producers working on larger, more complex events.

That moment fundamentally shaped the direction of the business, shifting Virginia’s Furniture Hire from a small, growing operation into a trusted supplier for large-scale, design-led events, and setting the foundation for the growth that followed.

How has the company evolved over the years in terms of services, style, and the clients you work with?

Over the years, Virginia’s Furniture Hire has evolved significantly in scale and reach, while remaining rooted in the aesthetic and service ethos we started with.

In the early days, our work was largely focused on local events, handmade, DIY-led weddings and small marquee celebrations that embraced the relaxed, rustic feel of our collection at the time. These clients were drawn to the individuality of our pieces and the laid-back, informal atmosphere they helped create.

As our reputation grew, we began to attract attention beyond the wedding market. Brands such as Selfridges and Mulberry discovered us and approached us to supply distinctive items for window displays, installations and photo shoots. Those early brand collaborations marked an important step in broadening the scope of our work, and even today, some of our original pieces, while less frequently requested than they once were, are still hired for their one-of-a-kind character and story.

As wedding and event enquiries increased in size and complexity, so too did the needs of our clients. We were increasingly asked to supply larger events requiring multiples of the same items. This naturally shifted our approach to sourcing, from primarily collecting one-off, unique pieces to carefully selecting ranges that could be offered consistently and at scale, without compromising on style or quality.

Throughout this growth, our service offering has remained a constant strength. From the outset, we have prioritised prompt communication, flexibility, and a genuinely helpful approach to each enquiry, while keeping our pricing fair and transparent. This commitment to service, combined with an evolving but recognisable style, has allowed us to grow alongside our clients and continue supporting everything from intimate celebrations to large-scale events and commercial projects.

What sets Virginia’s Furniture Hire apart from other furniture hire companies in the UK today?

What sets Virginia’s Furniture Hire apart is the way we source, curate and care for our collections. In a market where many hire ranges are selected quickly from mass-produced catalogues, our furniture is built around individuality, craftsmanship and long-term quality.

We continue to offer a genuinely unique collection, not pieces chosen at the click of a button, but furniture sourced with intention. Our ranges are designed to be mixed and matched, allowing clients to create a layered, customised look that reflects their personal style rather than a prescribed set. 

For us, sourcing has never been about convenience. It’s about connection, quality and craftsmanship. A beautifully styled image in a catalogue can hide a lot, thin timber, weak joinery, poor finishes or awkward proportions. By sourcing in person, we are able to assess furniture first-hand: testing the sturdiness of a chair, checking how items are joined, feeling the weight and finish of materials, and ensuring each piece will stand up to the demands of event hire both practically and aesthetically.

We still travel to meet some of our suppliers and makers because knowing who made our furniture matters to us. Many of our partners are small workshops where skills and techniques have been passed down through generations. Meeting the artisans allows us to understand their process, materials and values, and to work collaboratively on custom designs, finishes and bespoke collections that are truly our own.

By handpicking every item, we create thoughtful collections rather than mass-market ranges. The result is furniture with authenticity and soul, pieces that feel considered, well-made and enduring. It’s this depth of care and curation that continues to distinguish Virginia’s Furniture Hire in the UK today.

How do you balance trends with elegant design when curating your furniture collections?

When curating our furniture collections, we balance trends with timeless design by letting authenticity and personal taste lead the way. Ginny, who does most of the sourcing, brings her personal shopping skills to the table. While she keeps up with interior trends and colour palettes, we don’t strictly follow any rules or fads. The one guiding principle is simple: if Ginny wouldn’t have the item in her own home, it doesn’t make it into our collections.

We also make a conscious effort to avoid copying other hire companies, ensuring our clients have access to unique pieces. Eco-conscious choices guide our collections, and you won’t find glitz or sparkle in our selection, just warm, natural materials that create a relaxed, inviting aesthetic. Our collections are designed to feel elegant yet effortless, so every item feels like it belongs in a beautiful, lived-in home.

What advice do you have for wedding couples when considering furniture hiring for their wedding? Are there any good tips for stretching the budget? 

When it comes to furniture hire for weddings, our biggest piece of advice is to start with your guests in mind. We always listen closely to what our clients want and work with their ideas, guiding them to make sure everyone remains comfortable throughout the event. Many couples initially enquire about dining tables and chairs but often overlook the “gaps” in the day, moments when guests need places to relax. We encourage creating lounge areas, selecting high tables, or other gathering spots so people can naturally mingle and enjoy the space.

Weddings often span a full day, or even two, so there are smart ways to stretch your budget. Reusing furniture is key: ceremony chairs can become dining chairs, and lounge areas can be repurposed indoors one day and outdoors the next. Small touches, like switching cushions or adding a parasol, can give the same pieces a completely fresh vibe. Thoughtful planning like this ensures couples get the most value from their hire while keeping their wedding day stylish and comfortable.

Do you work directly with hosts and wedding couples or with marquee companies?

We still mainly work directly with hosts and wedding couples, around a 70/30 split. Even if the initial enquiry comes through a marquee company or venue, we love speaking directly to the couple so we can really understand their vision and help them plan around their space.

We also enjoy collaborating with planners and stylists. Many know and trust our furniture and team, so we often get repeat bookings through them. No matter the route, our focus is always the same: creating beautiful, comfortable spaces that fit the day perfectly.

Find out more about Virginia’s Furniture Hire