Team

I was born in South Africa and moved to London in 1999. I was lucky to gain experience working for two of the industry’s most respected brands: Andrew Martin and de Le Cuona, before founding Robert Langford in 2004. Langford, my middle name, is a family name on my late Mother’s (Joan) side. I’ve used it to honour her memory. My passion is to make designers’ lives easier. It’s why I come to work in the morning. I am proud to say that every strand of the company DNA has been infused with that passion. I want Robert Langford to be known as the company designers can trust. My inspirations are designers like the super stylish Bernie de Le Cuona to whom I owe so much. And of course, the remarkable David Hicks, whose books are always my first reference point when putting together new designs. I am proud of my African heart and love to get home to South Africa as often as I can. There is nothing like the bush at dawn or the warmth of an African smile. It feeds my soul. Beagles rule my life when I am not at work, I am devoted to my fur babies who I am sure you will all meet on Instagram and in product photography from time to time. When I am not at work, you can find me tucked away in a house on a hill, deep in the suburbs of South West London with my partner Wayne and our pooches.

Those familiar with the company will recognise this name, Christine has looked after the company finances for almost 2 decades, helping the company grow and was instrumental in developing the Robert Langford brand alongside Rob and the long-standing staff members. She made the decision to retire from the office in 2018, but we just can’t let her leave completely. Christine now lives in Folkestone, Kent, from where she keeps a sharp eye on our financial reporting and remotely leads her team members in London and Portugal. When she’s not doing that,  she pursues art, many different crafts, and writing, with her work displayed at various exhibitions and craft fairs throughout the year.

Anita joined us in early 2018 to run the finance department. Like an aromatherapy candle, Anita emits an air of calm and stability to the team and customers, just perfect for the person controlling the purse strings. With her amazing attention to detail and her positive outlook, nothing is ever a problem, and we all go to her when we need that little boost of confidence to face a difficult day. Anita is a very private person. An observer in the crowd, but don’t be fooled by this, she has another side to her personality, adorned with feathers and sequins, she proudly takes part in the Notting Hill Carnival every year.

Columbian-born Julian joined the team back in 2017 originally in the sales team and was an instant hit with both our clients and the team with his warm and cheeky attitude. As a budding artist, life took him to Portugal to study but we don't let people go that easy and he now works remotely for us as a crucial member of the Accounts department alongside Anita. When not working, you can find him producing wonderful art or hitting the streets with his gorgeous Collie, Sissi. 

Philippa joined us at the beginning of 2012 and is one of those unique team members that have experience in most departments, this makes her the perfect liaison between our sales and operations team. She is a “go to” person who always has the answer to any difficult question. She has a wonderful pedigree in the design industry and knows and is known by so many people who value and love her style of “getting on with it”. Outside of work, Philippa loves to “tramp the boards” and is always involved in the Interior Designers pantomime. She is a creative soul, who enjoys sculpture and painting. Did we mention that she also always has a killer playlist on her phone, which is often to be heard in the showroom? She likes nothing more than to travel to warmer climes and relax in the sunshine.

Spencer popped into our lives just before Decorex in 2017. We needed someone with a big personality to look after our second stand and he ticked every box. Spencer’s superpower is that he is both interested in and interesting to everyone he comes across, and he now charms our customers in the Kings Road showroom with his quick wit and winning smile. He is building up a very loyal portfolio of customers who keep coming back for more of his unique brand of fabulousness. He also keeps the team topped up with tea and titillating conversation. Spencer adores all things Madonna, who we all think may be his older, less fabulous sister, and lives a happy life with his other half, Joel and their pooch in the “burbs” of South West London.

Hailing from Portugal, a very young Humberto arrived on our doorstep in 2013, and in broken English, told us that he was determined to join our sales team. Thank goodness he was so persistent! He’s now a vital part of our sales team with exceptional product and industry knowledge. Humberto is based in Derby and looks after a selection of our existing customers as well as always looking to increase market share throughout the UK and Europe. He is always full of smiles and, for a ‘Johnny Foreigner’, makes an excellent “cuppa”. The team love his monthly visits to the showroom and head office (mostly for the tea and constant supply of pastel de nata he arrives with). Outside of the office, Humberto is a fully fledged family man now with his wife Joana, son Henry and new to the family, his twin girls!

Becky came to us in a “part-time” capacity in 2009 while studying and soon proved that she was irreplaceable. She was persuaded to take on a permanent position and has been an important member of the management team for many years. Becky looks after the production and smooth delivery of products to our customers, as well as quickly resolving any issues that come up in her wonderfully calm and logical way. She really is the reason we have such a good “after sales service” reputation. She is also the team glue, arranging nights out, the Christmas party and never forgetting a birthday. With all of these plates spinning merrily in the air, somehow, she also makes time to build her own brand of home wear, Markless Design www.marklessdesign.com that showcases her unique style. When not working, she loves going to gigs, hanging out in Brockwell Park with Andy, her other half, and dogs, all dogs, any size and any age.

Jo was recommended to us in 2014 by a good customer and we are forever grateful to them. Her astounding attention to detail fills our customers with the confidence that they can leave anything up to us and it will get done, just as if they were doing it themselves. She is driven to make sure that our customers get the best service and is the moral compass when it comes to making decisions regarding an order if she says “take this back to the customer to check”, we always listen. Outside of work, Jo and her Hubby David spend their time renovating their home in South East London, Jo also loves all things creative and spends time painting and is passionately interested in urban architecture.

An addition to the South-African contingent, Hayden joined us in 2020 and was thrown straight in the deep end in challenging times. Luckily, he came with a wealth of experience in logisitics and supply-chain management and has ensured the smooth running of our warehouse and logisitics departments ever since. He recently completed his Masters Degree in Logisitics and Supply-Chain Management further enhancing his knowledge.  In his spare time you can find him enjoying some quality time with his boy, Max or watching his beloved Springboks in the rugby.

Our State-side born Carl is a self-confessed Anglophile who joined the company in 2019. Carl works closely with Hayden and the Production team and is in charge of deliveries so will often be the last person you hear from in the team to work out the final stage of your project. His North-American lilt will keep you calm in a crisis and his wicked sense of humour can always keep the mood light. With a back ground in the luxury goods market, he spends a lot of his spare time restoring antiques and advising on art collections as well as being a regular at the theatre and opera. He certainly brings some culture to the company and can often be found visiting a country house at the weekends with his partner Wagner and their beloved terrier Penny.

Ren was brought into our lives by Hayden as they had worked together previously and we are eternally grateful. The hardest-worker there is, Ren takes care of the day to day running of the warehouse as well as doing all of our in-house restorations and assisting Darek out on any 2 man deliveries. Together, they are the friendliest delivery team in the biz! He is a loyal member of the Robert Langford team and will go above and beyond to help anyone that needs it. Another born and bred Saffa, he now lives in South London with his family and their dog Odin.  

The latest addition to the delivery team, Darek joined us in early 2024. He hails from Poland but has settled in South London with his family and is a great addition to our team.  Hard working to the end he will go above and beyond to ensure your delivery goes smoothly and he has the boundless energy of the Duracell bunny! When not at work, he is happiest in his local parks conversing with all the wildlife or at a music gig enjoying some rock music.