Business Profile – Original Style

Since the beginning of time, Original Style has been manufacturing tiles using a blend of traditional techniques, raw materials and a highly skilled and committed workforce. They have a variety of products, including hand-painted wall tiles, contemporary large format tiles as well as geometric Victorian floor tiles.

The company is based in Exeter the business was founded in the year 1986. The company was founded to develop tile sets for cast iron fireplaces that the sister company Stovax manufactured. After it was realized tile sets were used in different areas than fireplaces, especially in the USA in which they were installed on the walls of bathrooms that were luxurious, Original Style created a more compact range that incorporated authentic Victorian designs, using thinner tiles better suited for walls.

First Original Style Tile showroom was established at Exeter in 1996, followed by the second showroom located in Plympton at the beginning of 2001. Along with a newly inaugurated store at Cheltenham Original Style tiles are available through a variety of independent retail stores that were chosen in accordance with a shared desire for the highest standards and a love for tiles.

Henry Brook, Head of Retail Stores at Original Style provides more information about the company’s evolution ‘In 1900s the Victorian floor tile collection was created to compliment the ever-popular wall tile selection. The production department was expanded , and hand painting and in-house glazing sections were created. North America became such an important market that we decided to open our own distribution center located in Boston.”
The store located in Exeter was so well-loved it Original Style opened a second store in Plympton “our showroom originally located in Exeter was opened in 1996 to provide the best quality second-hand products and sale products. The store was so popular that we decided to open a second retail store in Plymouth five years after.”

The three Original Style showrooms still stock and sell second-hand supplies and equipment for any tiles and a huge selection of premium flooring and wall tiles, as well as mosaics in stone, glass ceramic, porcelain and more, all of which are suitable for residential areas Most of them are suitable for use in commercial settings as well.

In 1997, Original Style acquired the Winchester Tile Company and added hand-crafted, transparent glazed mouldings and tiles to its extensive product range. This resulted in slip casting and pressing wet clay equipment, as well as adding more manufacturing kilns.

Staying current with the latest trends in home decor is the main goal of Original Style

This is evident in the showrooms of the company, with carefully chosen, trendy items on display to impress the customers. Designs that are both achievable and real are displayed while showcasing the numerous possibilities which are possible from the wide
The range of items available.

Henry said “we would like our customers to feel at ease even in the biggest and most bright of areas. We strive to help our clients by ensuring they can envision their personal space in the same way like it will look at the end, when the tiles are laid.”

“Adding to that, we also provide the possibility of a 3D experience with the latest technology. Once the patterns and colors have been selected then our ViSoft technician will demonstrate to the customer the room they want to appear in a 3D version. There isn’t a single person who is a professional designer or has the imagination to create a room and we fully understand that.”

The brand has a wide range of retailers and 3 showrooms in the company has no shortage of ambition and plans to expand their reach further. The new showrooms will help local stores who are able to send their customers from across the country to experience the tiles in person without having to exhibit hundreds of items within a small space.

Henry said: “Our showrooms have been extremely successful and we would be thrilled to continue to grow by opening other stores in the near future. We prefer to choose the locations we want to open carefully considering several aspects, particularly ways our dealer network could benefit by our presence in certain areas.”