2020 has been the year of the bathroom – according to Ribble Valley-based designers Abbie and Sophie Schofield – who have seen demand for their services increase four-fold this year as the region’s homeowners turn to home improvement, decorating and DIY.
The entrepreneurial sisters, who founded luxury bathroom design studio and showroom Ribble Valley Bathrooms in 2018, believe that 2020 has been a milestone year for the North West’s homeowners, completely re-shaping the way they view their homes and placing an increased focus on creating areas of escape, luxury and relaxation. As a result, they have seen sales increase by 320% vs. the same period last year, with bathrooms topping the list of rooms shortlisted for an overhaul.
Sophie Schofield, Co-founder and Head of Design at Ribble Valley Bathrooms, said: “With the nation spending such an increased amount of time at home this year, it is perhaps not surprising that they have turned their attention inwards to how they can make tweaks and changes to their living space for increased wellbeing – or perhaps completing jobs that they had been previously been putting off.
“As a relatively new business in its third year of trading we were extremely tentative about how the first lockdown in March would impact demand for bathroom design. At first we switched our showroom-based business to online – offering design and consultation services and using our social media channels to inspire, educate and excite potential customers.
“Due to the size of our showroom and nature of the space we were able to re-open on an appointment basis and our fitters were given the green light to start work. As a result sales started to pick up again and over the course of this year we have seen a growing demand for new bathrooms in the region’s homes.
“Many of our customers have told us that this year they have reassessed how they use their homes, what spaces are most important to them and how design can really enhance and uplift their personal space. Bathrooms are such a versatile room – they can become a complete sanctuary, a spa-like escape – or they can make bold design statements with standout tiling, colour palettes, fixtures and fittings. We love helping people bring their own visions to life and some of the bathrooms that we have transformed this year have been truly remarkable.”
Sophie (30) and Abbie (28) founded Ribble Valley Bathrooms in 2018 after noticing a gap in the local market for a luxury bathroom showroom and design studio. With a 35 year family heritage in the plumbing industry, entering the traditional male dominated sector is not something that they ever anticipated. However they have carved out a niche in the region – combining a flair for cutting edge design with an unrivalled knowledge of Europe’s most iconic bathroom brands.
Co-founder, Abbie Schofield continued: “Our father instilled an entrepreneurial spirit and work ethic in us from a young age – he set up his plumbing and heating business when he was just 18 and 35 years later it is still going strong. As keen designers, marketeers and luxury good sales specialists, a career in plumbing and construction wasn’t a path we were planning to follow. But we noticed a really clear gap in the market – despite the prevalence of online bathroom retailers, people want the customer service, guidance and expert knowledge from a specialist showroom. We knew we could make a real difference in the luxury bathroom space and we’re proud that we have been able to channel our passion for design and craftmanship together with an ever growing knowledge of plumbing to create our own unique twist on the family legacy!
“This year has been unprecedented in so many ways. We’re grateful that we have been able to sustain and grow our business through such a difficult time. As we enter a second lockdown in what is a traditionally busy month for the industry, we continue to operate an online design service and use the showroom on an appointment only basis. The industry as whole is still open for business, however under strict social distancing guidance and measures.
“Looking forward our ambition is to grow and expand the business throughout the north. With uncertainty around the property market and wider economy we’ll be taking things one step at a time, however we are confident in our belief that the value and service that we can offer, in contrast to the discount ecommerce model, will continue to be a crucial USP and something people in this region value greatly.”
