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20 years in business, 15 years in Thrapston Inspired Interiors was founded by Sharman Phillips in 2001 after many years of working in soft furnishings. Her daughter, Clare Ingall, wanted to start it with her but Sharman initially insisted she got another job while the company became established, so Clare worked Saturdays with her mum and learned the industry. After Clare joined full time, they identifi ed they were increasingly working around the Thrapston area so, in 2006, they moved to Thrapston taking over the then Red Oasis shop where Hilly Horton Home is now. As the business grew and the workroom inevitably got messier, a separate work space was needed so they moved across the road in 2009 to their current location, with the workroom upstairs. Fast forward to today and busier than ever, Sharman and Clare are proud to be celebrating 20 years in business and 15 years in Thrapston. Very important to Sharman and Clare is the personal service they give their customers, from the initial consultation, choosing fabrics in the shop, making up and then ensuring the fi tting is completed to the customer expectations. The team has remained small with the making still being completed by Sharman, Clare and one other lady; quality is at the forefront with curtains and blinds being hand sewn rather than just hand fi nished, designs being bespoke and high quality fabrics and linings being used. On the fi tting side, they use experienced curtain blind fi tters who understand the various systems and types of window dressings. With many returning customers over the years they are able to suggest designs, suitable fabrics and colours by knowing the customers’ tastes and houses. While they are mainly known for curtains and blinds they have a vast wallpaper library to suit all tastes and have recently expanded the range to supply paint from Designers Guild and Sanderson. The showroom is run by appointment and provides a relaxed environment for customers to browse the books. The fabric library includes brands for all budgets and includes Jane Churchill, Colefax and Fowler, Sanderson, Harlequin, Morris & Co., Villa Nova, Romo, Sarah Hardaker, Linwood, Prestigious Textiles, James Hare, Baker Lifestyle, GP&J Baker, Zinc, Clarke and Clarke to name but a few. While over the years fabric supply has moved online and large retailers have either been lost or have cut down their range, Sharman and Clare continually invest to ensure they have the latest launches from many of the biggest fabric brands, and their fabric library is now very much a go to place for offering one of the largest ranges of fabric books in the area. Customers are also welcome to borrow the books so they can browse them at home. The support of their customers has never been as important as it was over the last 18 months and, though very worrying at fi rst, it became apparent very quickly that their customers were still keen to support the business throughout the pandemic and during the lockdowns by still getting in touch, placing orders, being fl exible in new ways of working and patient during the periods of closure. To ensure customers could still work with them Sharman and Clare adapted the business by initially taking the workroom home, returning it when the guidelines allowed. Clare did doorstep drop offs of sample books, on one day counting over 30 books in her car to drop to customers. Measuring was done by customers with full guidance or in some cases over facetime! They even continued to order books via sales meetings over zoom. Sharman and Clare look forward to a strong future on the fl ourishing destination High Street of Thrapston and to welcoming customers to the showroom for many years to come. For a no obligation showroom or home appointment, please contact us on 01832 733800 or This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. |
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