Our founder, Arthur Ellis Hancock, was living between rental property after rental property, in his first few years in London life. He had sofas, beds, armchairs, dining tables and dining chairs in his possession, which he didn’t have room for in his new place. The options were: sell, store, donate, or throw away. Each came with their own added strains, cost and implications on the environment. He thought, 'There must be a better way of doing this!'
So he started Poppy: a furniture rental platform, here to simplify home furnishing, reduce waste and to create beautiful spaces - one room at a time.
Arthur knew there are many second hand marketplaces available to buy items but the logistics of getting them from place to place are costly and time consuming. He has discovered a lot of these items, once bought and used, have such low resale values that they end up in landfill or on the street, disregarded when there is no longer any need for them. This contributes to the rising issue of fast furniture in the UK and the 750,000 tonnes of bulk waste that hits UK landfill every year.
The Poppy model is not only positioned to take away the hassle of moving, but to operate on a circular basis. Through re-use and re-furbishment of the items we lease, we can prolong their lifespan and retain their value at the highest possible level for as long as possible. We have carefully curated a selection of sustainable furniture brands, whose designs not only look amazing, but are good for the environment, too. These manufacturers have durability and innovation by design, ingrained into their manufacturing processes. This way we can reduce the strain on our environment and continue to live comfortably, both mentally and physically.
We would love to work with you by furnishing your next home. Get in touch with us if there is a sofa, coffee table, armchair or bed you need on a temporary basis.
Poppy: Furnish Freely