One of Exeter's best known businesses is quitting its home of almost 25 years.
Brights of Nettlebed, leading national furniture specialist closing its landmark showroom in Topsham at the end of next month (Feb).
The Old Gaol in Topsham has been home to Brights of Nettlebed for almost 25 years. Prior to that Brights first showroom opened in the mid 70s at 47 Fore Street, the business grew and two more shops were acquired in the Fore Street at 74 & 21.
The Old Gaol was subsequently acquired to provide a single unit to house the various collections of furniture. Restoration of this heritage building took some two years to complete after excavations revealed historic evidence of its use as a jail to hold petty criminals prior to deportation overseas.
In the early 1980s Brights set up their own workshops in Exeter to train their own cabinet makers.
This was one of the first Youth Training Schemes available in the country supported by the local college and Brights own team of specialist cabinet makers. Furniture from this workshop was exported worldwide and two of the trainees went on to set up their own factories and workshops one in America another in Australia.
Brights has continued to support cabinet making and has an established team of cabinet makers, carvers, gilders and marquetry workers in the Far East who produce fine quality and refined pieces for their specialist market
Over the years Brights have established themselves as country house specialist furnishers and have decided to concentrate their expertise in London and the Home Counties to meet the demand their showrooms in London, Oxfordshire and Dorset will continue to provide a home approval ,bespoke service and supply furniture to clients nationwide.
