Liberty’s Managing Director, Andrea Petochi
Doha, Qatar: The historic opening of the first international home showroom outside London of the 150-year-old British heritage brand, Liberty, can simply be described as “a garden home in Doha” — a space where design, art, and emotion converge to create meaningful experiences, said Liberty’s Managing Director, Andrea Petochi.
Speaking exclusively to The Peninsula, Petochi said that the new store in the heart of Doha’s Msheireb Downtown, a first of its kind globally, marks not just an expansion but a celebration of craftsmanship, culture, and collaboration between Liberty and Qatar’s dynamic design community.
Petochi highlighted that Liberty’s partnership with Msheireb Properties emerged naturally through shared values rather than commercial ambition.
“Msheireb is about living and having good hospitality,” he noted. “You see it in the way the cafes and hotels operate here. Everyone makes an effort to do a good job. It’s a culture of quality, and that’s something we deeply appreciate,” he said.
Founded in London during the late 19th century, Liberty has long been associated with the Arts and Crafts movement, which emphasized the fusion of beauty, function, and artistic integrity. Petochi sees the Doha showroom as both a continuation and a reinvention of that legacy.
The new Liberty Home showroom in Msheireb Downtown offers an immersive environment featuring furnishing textiles, wallpapers, and decorative cushions, allowing visitors to personalize their interiors. “You can come here and create your house style,” Petochi said. “Whether your inspiration is Japanese, Persian, Ottoman, or upcycled modern — it’s all about life and expression.”
He added that Liberty’s attention to craftsmanship and community echoes its founding philosophy — a belief that design should connect people, nature, and culture.
“In the 19th century, Liberty was born out of a desire to make society better through design,” Petochi reflected. “That same spirit is what we found here in Doha — a city that surprises you with creativity and forward thinking.”
Petochi noted that beyond retail, Liberty’s collaboration in Qatar extends to the academic and creative sectors. The company has worked closely with Virginia Commonwealth University in Qatar (VCUarts Qatar), offering mentorship to students and helping them develop collections inspired by regional trends.
“We do this for free because we like being in contact with students,” Petochi said. “It helps them build their first business projects, and we learn more about where color and style are going in this region.”
This exchange, he explained, aligns perfectly with Liberty’s mission of blending craft with innovation. “Sometimes we help young designers, sometimes we hire older ones for their wisdom,” he said. “The agility to be one and many — that’s part of our culture.”
