Tell us about yourself and your brand. How long have you been in business?

I have been an Agent for 20 years now and have worked with SoftNord for over 10 years. My boss at SoftNord, Renata Silinskiene, was keen to expand the company’s business into the UK retail market and we worked tirelessly for over a year preparing for our UK launch back in 2014

UAB Lyra group began over 30 years ago as a small creative initiative by a group of young enthusiasts in Mažeikiai, Lithuania. Their modern furniture quickly gained popularity, leading to the establishment of UAB Lyra group in 1992. Over the years, the company expanded its product range, adopted Scandinavian design, and began exporting internationally. Today, it is a large, growing company with over 400 employees and an 18,000 sq.m. production facility.

 

Knowing what you know now, what advice would you give to your younger self?

Slow and steady really can get the results and the satisfaction, sometimes with so much less stress and disasters too !!

 

Could you share details about any new collections or ranges you’ll be showcasing at the January Furniture Show?

Absolutely! As always, we will be taking a fantastic mix of inspiring upholstery for any home and launching a few more exciting fabric collections and colourways. We will have at least 5 new models to launch ranging from a cool modern modular group to a few on-trend models designed specifically for the UK market. Most of our models offer both sofa and modular options and our stand will showcase this mix of new models and best-sellers in the most popular combinations.

 

Do you have any personal favourites in your latest collection?

That’s a tough question because i really think this year we have a collection of real winners throughout……..but I do like the new modular ‘Cadiz’ as it is not only a modern design, it’s also really comfortable. I also have high hopes for ‘Ortiz’ with its featured stitching and high back, giving superb comfort. Too many great choices!!

 

What are you most looking forward to at the show?

 

Meeting up with new and existing customers on the stand, and taking great pride in showing them all that’s new from SoftNord and helping them choose the best models, combinations and colourways for their particular stores. Having some input in the design of the models, it’s a great feeling for not only myself but for all of our team, to see the appreciation and support from our customers, many of whom have supported us from day 1, 10 years ago.

 

Have there been any highlights for you over the past year that you’d like to mention?

There’s no doubt that in this industry, 2024 was a very challenging year, but we are all so proud that our hard work both at the factory, in the office and out on the roads has brought another year’s growth for the 10th straight year. Additionally, seeing our business relationship with a major UK retailer strengthening and growing, all brings great excitement for what we hope will be, a successful 2025.

 

Where do you see the furniture industry heading? Are there any styles or trends making a comeback, or any designs you think are least likely to return?

There is a real focus on sustainability in our industry recently, and rightly so. From reducing and rethinking packaging to using FSC woods and recycled fabrics, every manufacturer is having to pay attention to reducing waste, using sustainable materials and recycling where possible. This can only be good for everyone and i hope we all keep striving to be more efficient in this area. There seems to be a bit of a drive towards retro designs or versions of retro appearing in splashes and it looks like this will continue. Even when we thought the brown sofa was out, it’s back in, backed up with next year’s colour being announced as ‘Mocha Mousse’!! Time to look out my ‘flares’ for JFS !!!

 

What’s next for your company?

Having a successful JFS in January is our immediate goal in 2025 as this helps build our foundation for the year with all of our fantastic independent retail partners, without whom we would not be here. We also hope to build on our success in the ‘major’ retailer category and we look forward to making further strides in this area in 2025.