(Image: Mike Simmonds)
A Bradford family business that started out selling second-hand furniture more than 30 years ago has expanded its showroom to meet growing customer demand.
Furniture Mill, on Planetrees Road in Laisterdyke, has taken on an additional 10,000sq ft of space at Greenhill Mills, allowing the company to increase its range of sofas, beds, dining furniture and home furnishings.
The expansion marks the latest chapter in a journey that began in 1993 when the family opened its first store on Otley Road.
A business built over generations
Mohammed Ismail, who helps run the business, was just 12 years old when the venture first began.
Furniture Mill's new sofa showroom. (Image: Mike Simmonds)
The company started as a small second-hand furniture shop before moving to larger premises on Thornton Road, where it traded as Thornton Interiors for more than 25 years.
Furniture Mill then opened on Planetrees Road in 2014 and has continued to grow ever since.
Mr Ismail said: "It means everything to me because it's all I've really known...the business was always there and we were always helping out.
"After I left, I got fully involved and it's just grown from there."
Now aged 45, Mr Ismail said he has watched the company evolve from its humble beginnings into one of the district's best-known furniture outlets.
Furniture on display at Furniture Mill. (Image: Mike Simmonds)
Meeting demand from customers
Earlier this year, the business took on the upper floor of its current premises, transforming what had previously been an unused area into a major new showroom.
The additional space was created to meet increasing demand and give customers access to a wider range of products under one roof.
Mr Ismail said: "We've put in a big metal staircase and opened a new bed showroom upstairs, which is going really well...customers kept saying they should be able to buy everything in one place. That's one of the reasons we took on the extra space."
The expansion has also enabled the company to move into sofas, something they say customers had been regularly requesting.
Part of Furniture Mill's expanded showroom space. (Image: Mike Simmonds)
Loyal Bradford customers
Mr Ismail believes the company's success has been built on offering quality furniture at competitive prices.
He explained: "We focus on quality furniture at reduced prices."
He also praised the loyalty of Bradford shoppers.
"The people of Bradford are brilliant," he said.
"They're loyal customers, they come back, and they recommend us to other people."
Beds on display at Furniture Mill. (Image: Mike Simmonds)
Looking to the future
Although the larger showroom has only recently opened, Mr Ismail said demand has already exceeded expectations.
In particular, interest in the company's sofa range has been overwhelming, with further expansion of that department now being considered.
For now, however, the focus remains on continuing the steady growth that has defined the business for more than three decades.
Reflecting on the journey, Mr Ismail said: "It's been amazing seeing the business grow from very small, humble beginnings to what it is today."