Royal Oak’s return

The showroom and shop of the fine furniture maker are open once again

Although they have continued taking orders, creating and delivering for the past three months, nevertheless it was with great pleasure that the team at Royal Oak Furniture threw open their doors to customers once again earlier this month.

As visitors return to the Yorkshire Dales, the company’s showroom just outside Grassington, together with the shop in the village itself, are welcoming browsers and buyers to view their beautiful displays of bespoke handcrafted furniture, accessories and gifts.

Furthermore, Royal Oak will be showcasing its products at this year’s Great Yorkshire Show, which takes place from July 13 to 16, and which in previous years has proved an excellent way of introducing people to the fine furniture which it has been creating for more than 40 years.

Royal Oak is a genuine family business, established by Janet and Paul Kent, with their son, Mark, leading the design team. Along with daughter Joanne, who is chiefly responsible for the shop, they are still at the heart of the company, which has been based at Moor Lane for three decades.

The workshops and showroom form part of a group of renovated farm buildings, where a welcoming log fire and oak-panelled walls greet you as you enter the showroom, before a handmade oak staircase leads you to several beautiful room sets showcasing the work of one of the country’s leading cabinet makers.

There you will see an extensive selection of carefully-designed traditional and contemporary furniture Royal

Oak’s real strength – and its nationwide reputation – is for its bespoke design and manufacturing service.

The company’s aim is to create whatever furniture a customer wishes, starting from as little as an outline idea or a rough sketch, and then working with the client throughout the process create their perfect piece of furniture which will delight for many years.

Only the best quality timber is used, originating from environmentally managed woodlands where sustainability is a prime concern. Each piece of furniture made at Royal Oak starts the same way: English timber, whenever possible, arrives at the workshop with the bark still intact. There it is matched for grain and colour before the team of craftsmen set to work to get the very best out of each piece of wood.

The resulting pieces not only look amazing but are built to last, too, with traditional cabinet-making techniques, such a dovetail and mortise and tenon joints, going alongside more modern methods to create quality furniture that stands the test of time.

■ The main showroom at Moor Lane, Grassington, is open from Mondays to Saturdays, from 10am to 4pm.

■ The shop, at 2 Wood Lane, Grassington, is open from Wednesdays to Mondays, from 10am to 4pm.

■ Telephone 01756 753378.

■ www.royaloakfurniture.co.uk

The company’s aim is to create whatever furniture a customer wishes…