IN BUSINESS

pread out over two floors behind a charming two-bay Victorian shop frontage on Bedale’s cobbled Market Place, Dovetail Interiors is jam-packed with inspiration for anyone who wants to beautify their home.

Dovetail Interiors has been trading in Bedale for over twenty-five years. Current owner Tory Porritt worked for both the original owner and his successor before deciding that she liked the business so much that she wanted to buy it herself.

Tory was raised near Richmond. Her longstanding interest in art and design soon led her to a job in the Radio Times picture department, where her responsibilities included arranging front cover photoshoots for the iconic TV listings magazine.

Since 2013, though, she has been channelling her artistic energies into curating a constantly changing selection of quality furniture, home accessories, soft furnishings and gift ideas. “Dovetail Interiors has changed considerably over the years,” she says. “The original business was predominantly about furniture – hence the name. Nowadays, whilst we still sell furniture, there’s much more emphasis on homeware, tableware and soft furnishings.

“I’m constantly looking for new things to add to the mix. Although we do have quite a lot of big brand names, we also stock things from small, individual companies. People like the fact they see products you can’t find in the standard High Street stores. One thing customers often say to us is that you don’t find many shops with such a wide range of products as ours.

“There’s a wide range in terms of price too. Yes, we sell high-end items, but we also stock plenty of very affordable items. You can fill a bag for £25!”

FABULOUS FABRICS

“Made-to-measure curtains and Roman blinds have been an increasingly large part of our business over the last few years. We have lots of gorgeous fabrics – and wallpapers – from The Chateau by Angel Strawbridge collection. They’re delightfully quirky, but without being too ‘out there’.

“As far as trends go, maximalist is fast becoming the new minimalist. Whereas a few years ago you might have had one patterned wall in a room and the rest grey, people are aiming for a much lusher look, bringing a variety of different patterns together in the same room.

“For those in search of full-on, big, bold prints we’ve just introduced Paloma Home, a luxurious new home interiors collection from singer-songwriter Paloma Faith. Think big, blowsy blooms, exotic birds and leaping tigers!” “Another important trend is the push towards sustainability – and we, and many of our suppliers, are working towards that goal. This year for example the St Eval Candle Company was given a Queen’s Award for Enterprise in Sustainable Development. The Bath House in Sedbergh – they make luxury natural skincare products – have given up plastic in favour of recyclable and refillable packaging. And Yorkshire-based Hug Rugs now used recycled cotton in their colourful washable mats and recycled plastic bottles for their backings.

“Other favourite products? Well, I’m very enthusiastic about our tableware. We have some terrific brands, including Sophie Conran for Portmeirion, Wrendale, Sophie Allport and my personal favourite, Morris & Co. from Spode.”

“It was lovely having people back in the shop, telling us how much they had missed shopping here.”

WEATHERING THE STORM

How has Dovetail Interiors coped with the pandemic and a succession of lockdowns? “Obviously the situation hasn’t been ideal, but we’ve weathered it,” says Tory. “The first lockdown was the hardest – basically we were all just sitting at home with not a lot to do. Fortunately, though, we had already done our buying, so the shop was full of lovely new stuff when we reopened.

“The lockdowns either side of Christmas were tough, of course, because that’s our main selling season, but we used the time to redecorate the shop, and when we were open we were actually very busy.

“It was lovely having people back in the shop, telling us how much they had missed shopping here. One thing many of our regular customers found hard to do without was our soap. We sell some really lovely soaps from Savon de Marseille and The English Soap Company and they’re very popular. Once people try them they don’t want to use anything else.” “My favourite part of the job? I love doing the buying. It’s always a risk when you try out something new, and it’s nice when customers tell you how much they love it!

“I also really enjoy being on the shop floor. My desk is just behind the counter – I certainly wouldn’t want to hide away upstairs – and I love meeting locals and visitors from further afield, and being a part of the community here in Bedale.

“The great thing about Bedale is that apart from a couple of small supermarkets it’s a town of independent retailers. Not so long ago you could have been forgiven for thinking that Bedale was playing second fiddle to Leyburn. In the last few years, though, the town has really upped its game. Visitors love the fact that there are so many unique and unusual shops – like ours!”

Dovetail Interiors is at 17 Market Place, Bedale, 01677 426464, and online at dovetailinteriors.co.uk and facebook.com/ DovetailInteriorsBedale

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