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Some of our most popular accessories are the cushions and silver jewellery made by the Miao people of southern China. The culture of this tribe is absolutely fascinating, so I thought it was a worthy subject of this week’s blog. The Miaos are one...

The weather is getting colder and the skies are becoming dull. Winter is the time to cocoon and nest, and at this time of year, our thoughts turn to creating a cosy interior. Perhaps it’s just me, but when the...

I spent Thursday to Saturday here in Beijing visiting various furniture warehouses to select antique pieces for our next container. Over the three days I met up with another four or five suppliers, each one with a varying selection of...

I just have time to update the blog while enjoying a couple of ‘mooncakes’ given to me by the lady how owns one of the antique warehouses I visited earlier. Today is the mid-Autumn festival in China, a public holiday (though thankfully...

I arrived in Shanghai late Friday afternoon, just in time to witness a huge thunder storm over the city that caused chaos on the roads and for those trying to get home from work on the city’s underground. Michael ,...

I’ll be leaving on Thursday for another visit to Shanghai and Beijing, catching up with suppliers and selecting antiques and accessories to ship over to the UK on our next containers. With the move to our new showroom earlier this year taking...

The architect and interior designer David Collins died last month and this blog entry celebrates one of his creations – the restaurant Bob Bob Ricard in London, which showcases Oriental themes. David Collins was known for his opulent designs, often...

With a fairly small budget to pay for the furniture on that first container back in 2003, plus warehousing, photography, website and other expenses, I had decided to initially run Shimu from my home. It was streamlined:  just me, the...

This weekend will see us reach the milestone of ten years as the North’s leader in oriental furniture. As I sit and write this in our expansive new showroom, it seems a lifetime away from when I started the business from a...