A Harrogate based interior designer has launched a brand new retail and commercial interior design venture in the town that has created five new jobs immediately.
Richard Grafton Interiors launches this week (Tuesday 27 March 2012) from 3,000 sq ft retail and showroom premises on The Ginnel in Harrogate’s Montpellier Quarter. The new business represents a total investment of £1m by owner Richard Grafton.
Michelle Frost, brand & marketing manager; Victoria Varney, interior designer; Kim Robb (seated), interior designer; Suzanne Watson, financial controller; and Richard Grafton, managing director of Richard Grafton Interiors.
The business provides a complete high quality interior design service and also offers design-led interiors products, from fabrics, flooring and wall coverings to bespoke kitchens and bathrooms, furniture and objects d’art. It has recruited five highly experienced design and sales staff and plans to expand further over the coming months.
Richard Grafton (45) who has 25 years’ experience in the industry, was formerly managing director at James Brindley in Harrogate and Wetherby. He has launched the new business with his own investment to cater for a growing demand for commercial and residential design products and services across North and West Yorkshire.
Richard Grafton:
I wanted to take the opportunity to have control over my future, and the time just seemed right to take the leap and launch my own venture.
Our team has huge experience working on some of the most prestigious and intricate interiors projects in the area over the last 25 years, and we have added new services and project management expertise that customers have been requesting.
Richard is working with trusted employees and suppliers including bespoke bathroom and kitchen specialists and flooring contractors to offer a ‘concept to delivery’ management service that enables private and corporate clients to have entire projects delivered by the Richard Grafton Interiors team.
Richard added:
The economy is suffering, but the market is still strong for the right style of design, using the best quality materials and suppliers but still showing sensible value, and that has given us the confidence to launch this venture now.
The three-storey showroom, design centre and studio, formerly part of the ‘To Catch a Dream’ furniture showroom on Montpellier Street, features room sets showcasing entire living rooms, bathrooms and a show flat to demonstrate the firm’s design and installation capability.
Richard concluded:
With interest in the showroom from private clients as well as enquiries from a number of businesses for design projects on offices and hotels, we hope that we will be able to expand the team in the near future.
Photo by Giles Rocholl Photography Ltd :o))