| The
name of Charles Barr dates back well over
100 years to the latter part of the 19th
Century. It was in 1861 that a chair maker
by the name of Charles Barr set up a workshop
in the parish of Shoreditch in London.
With the
assistance of his three sons the business
flourished but it was the influence of
Charles Barr’s youngest son Ernest
that changed the company from a chair
maker to a company specialising in what
would have then been considered to be
furniture of the period drawing inspiration
from such designers as Robert Adam, George
Hepplewhite, Thomas Sheraton and Thomas
Chippendale.
With the
passing of time the company faded into
near obscurity and it was not until the
late 1940’s that the name of Charles
Barr was resurrected by a London businessman
by the name of Wilfred Griffiths. Relying
mainly on outside manufacturing sources
the company grew and began once again
to be successful, but it was the appointment
of two key members of staff Bryan and
Hutchins, together with the interest of
a business entrepreneur by the name of
Chris Stockwell that saw the business
move to a new level. Two new factory sites
were set up at Sandy, Bedfordshire and
Wroxham, Norfolk. These production facilities
saw the company increase its range of
furniture which was now being designed
and made in house by the Bryan and Hutchins
partnership.
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Our
Factory and showroom at Sandy Bedfordshire |
In 1992
a Management buy out saw Bryan and Hutchins
take control of the business and since
this time the company’s product
range has been significantly developed
to incorporate the decorative traditional
style that Charles Barr is known and renowned
for. Supplying most of the better quality
independent outlets throughout the UK
the company also exports its furniture
all over the world to countries such as
the USA, Japan, Russia and Europe. With
a standard range of furniture which is
second to none the company also provides
a complete bespoke service from the original
concept and design stage through to final
production and delivery.
Today
with so many imports flooding the UK and
the country’s manufacturing base
on the decline the Charles Barr story
continues. Training schools have been
set up at both Wroxham and Sandy factories
to ensure that traditional cabinet making
and polishing skills are not lost. To
these methods the company has added modern
technology and innovations ensuring that
Charles Barr furniture is even stronger
than an original and more tolerant of
changes in heat or humidity and no longer
the exclusive preserve of the very wealthy.
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