Dublin home furnishiers are struggling amid rising costs and the collapse in demand.
The Fitzgeralds have a long-running partnership with Irish architect and decorator Kermper Homes, and the home has a long history of working with the designer.
But as demand for furnishings has dropped, so has Kermpeters supply of the items.
This week, Kermps furniture suppliers, including furniture company Eileen, warned that Fitzgeralds supply of furniture could be in jeopardy as demand picks up.
Kermpeter’s furniture suppliers are warning that Fitzgerald’s furniture supply could be at risk due to the collapse of the company.
In a letter sent to its customers, the Fitzgeralds said the current economic climate, which has seen the UK government slash consumer spending, was also affecting demand.
“There is no question that the economy is in the midst of a profound and acute economic downturn,” the letter said.
“Fitzgeralds furniture supply will be directly impacted as the economy slows down, leading to further declines in demand.”
The Fitzgerald furniture business is one of Ireland’s most successful, employing 1,600 people.
The company has a reputation for being an exceptional and professional designer.
It has produced iconic furniture and other iconic products including the famous Fitzgerald home and dining room furniture, the home furnishies of the likes of the late Lord Byron and the poet John Donne, the iconic Kermpeffer house and the famed Fitzgeralds furnishings and accessories.
Fitzpatrick family members were present for the launch of the home furnishing line in September.
The firm’s chief executive, John Kelly, said that the company had been hit hard by the Brexit vote, the global financial crisis and the decline in demand for its products.
“We’ve seen the impact of all of these things on our business and it’s not good news for us,” he said.
But Kelly, who was also the chairman of the board at the time of the financial crisis, said the company’s current difficulties were not an isolated incident.
“You see a lot of companies that are not in the same position we are,” he told the Irish Times.
“I don’t think we’re alone.
I think you can’t do business with these people.”
The company, which was founded in 1854, has a portfolio of more than 70,000 items.