Kitchen retailer Et Lorem has announced it will close its Reading studio as it looks to streamline the business, saying that the way clients navigate the kitchen design and purchase process has “evolved considerably” since the space opened.
Et Lorem’s Reading showroom was the business’ first-ever independent retail location, which opened its doors in 2021 and helped secure the company its trophy as kbbreview’s New Kitchen Retailer of the Year in 2023. This was shortly followed by the opening of its Beaconsfield showroom in 2024, which was selected to be kbbreview’s Showroom of the Month in December of that year.
Following the closure of its original Reading showroom, the business will now make Beaconsfield its flagship studio, with founder Jamie Harding saying the space will “continue to provide the creative environment in which we meet and work with our clients”.
Alongside this, Et Lorem’s head office and project management teams will also relocate to Winnersh Triangle in Reading, which Harding says will now serve as a dedicated space for the business’ operational and delivery arms.
Discussing the decision to streamline the business in this way, Harding explained: “When we opened our first independent retail space in Reading in 2021, the traditional showroom still played an important role in how clients explored kitchen design. Since then, the way people discover, research and make decisions about their homes has evolved considerably.
“Today, clients often come to us having already spent time gathering ideas through platforms such as Instagram and Pinterest. They have a much clearer sense of the look, atmosphere and feeling they want to create, and they are looking to us to interpret those ideas in a way that responds to their home and the way they live.
“That shift has changed what we believe a design studio needs to be. Rather than trying to display every possible kitchen style, material or finish, we want our spaces to inspire conversation, encourage creativity and give clients the opportunity to experience the quality and detail of what we do. Our Beaconsfield studio reflects that more considered approach, alongside the increasingly collaborative way we work with interior designers, architects and other design professionals.”
Harding added that while Et Lorem’s original Reading showroom played an incredibly important part in the business’ growth over the past six years, he feels the studio “no longer serves our future needs”.
Et Lorem has confirmed it will continue to welcome clients at its now-flagship Beaconsfield studio, alongside its list of partner locations such as Home Hub Group, Art of Integration and Shack – all of which are also based across the Home Counties.
“We want to lead by example,” Harding added. “Our decision to streamline the business marks the beginning of a new chapter for Et Lorem, and corporate advancement for our brand within the luxury design space.”