City centre launch for home interiors brand’s first store

Leeds-based luxe interiors brand Dowsing & Reynolds has officially opened its doors to its first store in Victoria Quarter’s County Arcade, showcasing striking fittings and stylish accents for the home.

Spanning 2,165 sq ft across two floors, the store has been designed by James and Ally Dowsing-Reynolds with help from local interior designer Karen Knox from Making Spaces.

The concept shop has a dedicated section for each room in the home. The ‘kitchen’ features design-led cupboard and drawer handles, knobs and pulls while the ‘living room’ showcases paint, table lamps, outside lights, as well as the company’s range of faux foliage. Shoppers will be able to browse sockets and switches in unique finishes, and customise their own light while exploring the range of pendant and wall lighting in the ‘hallway’ and ‘bedroom’.

The shop has been entirely decorated in ‘mud wrestling’, a shade of dark grey sold by Dowsing & Reynolds, and features the brand’s characterful monkey lamps throughout. Bespoke units have been designed and built to house the rainfall showers and wall mounted taps in the ‘bathroom’ upstairs, and moss walls bring the store interiors to life.

With the help of retail psychologist Kate Nightingale from Style Psychology, Dowsing & Reynolds have created a new store concept and worked to provide the level of shopping experience expected from Victoria Quarter’s customers.

Ally Dowsing-Reynolds, said: “With such a range of products on display in our new shop, and more yet to come, we’ve worked around the clock to bring something extra special to those shoppers in Leeds that are looking to make their homes more striking with carefully selected finishing touches.

“It’s about the way a kitchen handle feels to the touch as you open a cupboard or drawer, and a statement light that creates just the right ambience.

“We’re beyond thrilled to be nestled in the heart of the Victoria Quarter among such high profile names in fashion and design, after focusing solely on our online business for the past seven years.

“The team we’ve chosen to work in-store are interior design aficionados and are passionate about helping inspire customers to create a home that says something about them. We often get asked whether our products can be experienced ‘offline’ so we look forward to welcoming both neighbours and customers alike to get up close with our products.”

Jo Coburn, General Manager at Victoria Leeds, said: “”Dowsing & Reynolds is a fantastic local brand with bags of character and an unrivalled range of products.

“It’s always great to see a Leeds-based business opening a store in our destination, particularly when it’s their first, and Dowsing & Reynolds will be a top addition to our already strong homeware offering.”

Dowsing & Reynolds was launched in 2012 by James Dowsing-Reynolds, and initially sold concrete-based lamps and vintage style bulbs.

Gathering momentum over the years the brand now has a wide, varied portfolio and has scooped prestigious awards, affirming its place in the design-led interior market.