Housewares Business-to-business magazine for housewares retailers and their suppliers
Leeds-based interiors brand Dowsing & Reynolds officially opened the doors to its first store, in the West Yorkshire city’s Victoria Quarter on September 25, followed by a launch party on October 2.
Spanning 2,165sq ft across two floors and designed by owners James and Ally Dowsing-Reynolds with the help of local interior designer Karen Knox from Making Spaces, the concept shop in County Arcade has a dedicated section for each room in the home showcasing a range of relevant fittings and accents.
The ‘kitchen’ features design-led cupboard and drawer handles, knobs and pulls, whilst the ‘living room’ showcases paint, table lamps and outside lights, as well as the company’s range of faux foliage. Customers can also browse sockets and switches while exploring the range of pendant and wall lighting in the ‘hallway’ and ‘bedroom’.
The shop has been entirely decorated in ‘mud wrestling’, a shade of dark grey sold by Dowsing & Reynolds, and features the brand’s characterful monkey lamps throughout. Bespoke units have been designed and built to house the rainfall shower and wall-mounted taps in the ‘bathroom’ upstairs, and moss walls bring the store’s interior to life.
Ally Dowsing-Reynolds said: “With such a range of products on display in our new shop, and more to come, we’ve worked around the clock to bring something extra special to those shoppers in Leeds that are looking to make their homes more striking with carefully selected finishing touches. It’s about the way a kitchen handle feels to the touch as you open a cupboard or drawer, and a statement light that creates just the right ambience.
“We’re beyond thrilled to be nestled in the heart of the Victoria Quarter among such high profile names in fashion and design, after focusing solely on our online business for the past seven years.
“The team we’ve chosen to work in-store are interior design aficionados and are passionate about helping inspire customers to create a home that says something about them. We often get asked whether our products can be experienced ‘offline’, so we look forward to welcoming both neighbours and customers alike to get up close with our products.”
Dowsing & Reynolds was founded in 2012 by James Dowsing-Reynolds, selling concrete based lamps and vintage style bulbs. The brand now has a wide and varied portfolio and has scooped awards including Best Home & Garden, DIY & Tools eCommerce website in the eCommerce Awards for Excellence, and Small eCommerce Company of the Year in the Northern eCommerce Awards, both in 2017.
