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...
Like any small business, we’re always looking for ways to get our message out to new customers and to remind existing clients of the great stuff we have in stock. I like to think we’re pretty on the ball when it...
Did you know that, as well as ordering from the wide range of Chinese antique furniture that we stock here in the UK, you can also now view and choose from hundreds of cabinets, sideboards, tables, chairs, chests and accessories that...
Tuesday was spent visiting a couple of other warehouses that I tend to source a large number of antiques from each time I visit China. One in particular offers a superb collection of pieces – certainly the best I have...
I met my main contact here in Beijng on Sunday morning and headed straight off to Panjiayuan – the large weekend antique market near the centre of the city. The market is made up of hundreds of little stalls and shops offering...
As one of the UK’s leading specialists in Chinese antique and oriental furniture we are often contacted by theatre groups and production teams to supply furniture or accessories for use as props in plays or films. The most recent occasion was just last week,...
The tenth annual Saltaire festival kicks off today, with a fantastic programme of events scheduled over the next ten days, culminating in the finale weekend on the 15th and 16th September. With tens of thousands of visitors to the village over the...
