 |  22/07/03 - New range from Shimu brings Eastern style direct to UK homes
Now it's easy to bring a taste of the exotic East into your home with the launch of Shimu, a new company in the UK that provides an exclusive range of furniture based on traditional Chinese designs. Shimu's range of cabinets, coffee tables, screens, trunks and accessories can be viewed and ordered through the company's Web site at www.shimu.co.uk, and deliveries can be arranged to anywhere in the UK.
All furniture supplied by Shimu is hand-crafted in China using traditional materials and construction techniques, so that each piece is in some way unique. The range includes reproductions of classic pieces from the Chinese Ming Dynasty - a period that produced stunningly beautiful furniture based on elegant forms and simple, clean lines. Other pieces have been updated for modern living but still hold fast to the spirit of the Ming age in their pure, refined style.
Only reclaimed, seasoned wood is used in the production of Shimu's furniture and most pieces are finished in a choice of natural warm elm or black lacquer. Other pieces, including some wonderful wedding cabinets, are hand painted with designs that have been used to decorate Chinese furniture for hundreds of years.
The company has been established by James Cottrell, who first became interested in Chinese furniture during a period of two years spent in Hong Kong. "When I returned to the UK with my wife, we brought back a few pieces with us and began to look for more in this country", he explains. "We came across several companies that sold Chinese antiques but found it very difficult to track down new furniture that made use of the traditional materials and designs that we had seen in China. That was what started the idea for Shimu. Our aim now is to make these beautiful pieces more easily accessible and affordable for people in the UK."
Each item available from Shimu is hand selected both for its aesthetics and for its functionality in today's Western homes. Ming furniture is noted for its fluidity, wonderful curves and its simple, clean lines. "These qualities are timeless - many of our designs are effectively hundreds of years old and have a real history behind them, but they still work perfectly in a modern setting", says Cottrell.
As well as its own range of furniture, Shimu offers a bespoke service to allow customers to make alterations to any of the pieces available on the company's Web site, or even to produce furniture based on their own specifications. The company can also source antique furniture through its network of supplier contacts in China.
|
|
Back to Main News >
 |  | | Need more information? Like to order by phone? Call 0844 412 8008 |
|  |
 | | Sign up for our email newsletter to receive exclusive discounts and updates on our latest products. |
| |
|
