Beyond reports on the arrival of Design Emporium in Ilkley and steps into their stunning new studio in the heart of the town.

It was 1990 when Rik Smith, the Managing Director of Design Emporium first walked through the doors of famous Ilkley hardware store Mortens as a child.

Back then he was fascinated by the row upon row of home accessories and the array of products that filled the shelves and fuelled his love of design.

Fast forward 34 years and the man who has built up one of Yorkshire’s most successful architecture and interior design businesses, has now turned half that same shop into his stunning new design studio.

When Mortens decided to reduce the size of their premises on Cunliffe Road last year, Rik quickly jumped at the chance to snap it up and over the past few months he has lovingly transformed it into a stylish new office space from where he and his team of architects and designers now work.

Talking about his arrival in Ilkley Rik said: “After over 20 years building up the practice, it was always my goal to one day return to Ilkley and when the opportunity arose to take half of the Morten site, it was a dream come true.

“To now work in the space which was so inspirational to me as a child and remains such an iconic building in Ilkley, seems very fitting and gives us a real shop window to showcase our services to a wider audience.”

Walking through those famous doors now, it is clear to see how much Rik has put into the building.

Not only home to his team of five, it is also home to a beautiful new studio space that allows clients to see first-hand the range of materials and products that can bring their projects to life.

Rik added: “We didn’t just want to create an office, we wanted to make it a really relaxed and interactive studio space where people can come and see what we do, make it accessible to everybody and lose that stuffy image of an architect’s office.”

“We can now showcase everything from lighting solutions to different furniture and fabric options in the comfort of our studio, which is a real help to clients.”

The practice has certainly come along way since it launched in 2003. Back then, Rik’s vision was to provide clients with a complete turnkey service where architects, interior architects, and interior designers worked alongside each other to create a single, unique vision for each of their projects.

Twenty years on and that collaborative approach is still at the forefront of all they do and instrumental to the raft of awards they have won in recent years.

Having begun his career as a Project Manager on the redevelopment of a 25-acre estate and manor house, Rik launched Design Emporium with the intention of helping clients unlock their home’s full potential by specifically focusing on the flow and circulation of a home and its connection with external spaces.

Such was his success and vision, he soon began building a team of specialist architects and designers to expand the business and provide the ultimate one-stop bespoke experience for clients.

Passionate about creating warm and welcoming houses that put functionality and flow at the centre, Rik believes it is their attention to detail and that seamless approach to every project helps them stand out and has seen the business grow so successfully.

Rik said: “From day one, we have always set out to provide a collaborative design approach and it is that cohesion of different specialists working as one team that allows us to explore and maximise every opportunity on all our projects.

“It is the key to our success and we are delighted to now be able to showcase our work in Ilkley, the place where it really did all start for me.

“The passion of Design Emporium has always been to bring people’s dreams to life by creating unique living, working and relaxation spaces and we look forward to welcoming everybody to come and see what we can do in our beautiful new studio space.”

Design Emporium
2 Cuncliffe Road
Ilkley
LS29 9DZ
T: 01274 925001
W: designemporium.co.uk