Client: RH England (Aynho Park, Aynho, Banbury, Oxfordshire) Project Duration: 2021 – 2024 (Main installation in 2023)
Services Provided: Dedicated Storage, Workshop Facilities, Logistics, Delivery, Collection, and On-site Installation

The Vision: RH England at Aynho Park

RH England, nestled within the magnificent 400-year-old Aynho Park estate, is a testament to history, design, food, and wine. This 73-acre, 60-room landmark, originally designed by the preeminent British architect Sir John Soane, was reimagined and opened to the public for the very first time. It seamlessly integrates RH Interiors, Contemporary, Modern, and Outdoor collections with a curated selection of rare art, antiques, and collections sourced from across the globe. Beyond its stunning interiors, the estate boasts historic gardens by the iconic Capability Brown and offers three distinct dining experiences – the Orangery, the Loggia, and the Conservatory – alongside a sophisticated Wine Lounge and Juicery.

The sheer scale and unique nature of this project demanded a logistics and installation partner with unparalleled expertise, precision, and dedication. Jamie Briggs Removals & Storage was proud to step up to this monumental challenge.

The Challenge: A Project of Unprecedented Scale and Delicacy

The scope of the RH England project presented a unique set of logistical complexities:

• Vast and Varied Inventory: Handling everything from multi-ton statues and large outdoor furniture to intricate wall plaques, delicate ornaments, and priceless artworks.
• Historical Context: Working within a 400-year-old Grade I listed property required extreme care and sensitivity during all handling and installation processes.
• Global Sourcing: Receiving items from numerous international shipping containers, necessitating efficient and secure offloading and storage.
• Artist Collaboration: Providing a dedicated space for artists to work on and prepare their collections prior to installation.
• Dynamic Installation Requirements: The fluid nature of interior design meant constant goal post changes in room setup and decoration, demanding exceptional adaptability from the installation team.
• Tight Deadlines: A compressed 2-3 month period for the main move and installation phase, requiring continuous, intensive operations.
• Complex Installation: Placing and securing a diverse range of items, including highly technical and unusually sized pieces, into their final positions.

The Jamie Briggs Solution: Bespoke Logistics and Dedicated Partnership

Jamie Briggs Removals & Storage devised and executed a comprehensive solution tailored precisely to the demands of RH England:

1. Specialised Storage Facilities:
   • We received all incoming artwork, statues, props, plaques, ornaments, and outdoor furniture directly from shipping containers.
   • A dedicated storage hangar was provided at our Heyford Park facility, ensuring ample, secure, and climate-controlled space for the vast inventory of incoming furniture and all other items. This bespoke arrangement allowed for systematic cataloguing and easy access.
2. Dedicated Workshop Space:
   • Crucially, we established a dedicated workshop space within our facility. This enabled artists to work on and design their collections, ensuring each piece was perfectly prepared before installation at RH England.
   • This workshop also served as a central hub for all ornaments, allowing various RH departments to visit, select, and prepare items for their specific themed rooms, streamlining the interior design process.
3. Seamless Delivery and Collection Service:
   • Jamie Briggs Removals & Storage implemented a continuous, on-demand delivery and collection service between our facility and Aynho Park. This ensured a smooth flow of items, precisely when and where they were needed.
4. Expert On-site Installation and Adaptive Teamwork:
   • Our highly skilled team was responsible not only for the transportation but also for the meticulous installation of ornaments and delicate artwork throughout the RH England building. This included handling technically challenging pieces and ensuring every item was perfectly positioned and secured.
   • The Jamie Briggs Removals Team was deeply embedded in the project, working tirelessly and demonstrating remarkable flexibility. They consistently adapted to the constant goal post changes in room setups and decorative schemes, often requiring items to be moved, re-positioned, or re-installed multiple times until the perfect aesthetic was achieved. Their dedication ensured that the RH vision was realised, no matter how many iterations were required.
   • Our team worked in continuous conjunction with the RH team, providing a seamless and integrated approach to the entire move and installation process.
5. Unwavering Commitment and Rigorous Project Management:
   • During the critical 2-3 month main installation phase in 2023, our dedicated team worked 7 days a week, demonstrating an unparalleled commitment to meeting the project’s ambitious timeline.
   • Given the immense scale and complexity of the project, continuous management was paramount. Jamie Briggs Removals & Storage maintained a proactive approach, holding regular project management meetings with the RH team. These meetings were crucial for addressing evolving requirements, coordinating logistics, troubleshooting on-site challenges, and ensuring the highest quality standards were maintained throughout every stage of the moving and installation process. This rigorous oversight guaranteed precision and efficiency from start to finish.

Notable Items Handled:

The project involved handling many truly unique pieces, including:

• A full-size unicorn
• A huge over sized pizza oven
• The iconic RH crest, now prominently displayed in the lobby

The Outcome: A Flawless Unveiling of a Design Masterpiece

Through meticulous planning, dedicated resources, unwavering commitment, and highly adaptive teamwork, Jamie Briggs Removals & Storage played a pivotal role in the successful transformation of Aynho Park into RH England. Our comprehensive logistics, secure storage, bespoke workshop facilities, and expert installation services ensured that every piece, from the largest statue to the most delicate ornament, was handled with the utmost care and precision, even amidst dynamic design changes.

The seamless collaboration between our diligent team and the RH team, underpinned by continuous project management, allowed for the efficient and timely completion of this complex project, culminating in the stunning unveiling of RH England as a world-class destination. This project stands as a testament to Jamie Briggs Removals & Storage’s capability to deliver exceptional service on even the most demanding and high-profile assignments, proving our ability to adapt and excel in ever-changing environments.