It was in 1971 that architect, Peter Hellmers, opened an inspired homes-and-gardens emporium in Epping High Street, a concept well ahead of its time and long before lifestyle superstores arrived.
Peter brought together the worlds of interior and outdoor living, where customers could select elegant furniture, artisanal cookware, and curated garden tools, before having paint mixed for a weekend transformation.
By the late 1970s, his passion for antique pine had taken centre stage, transforming the store into a destination for sought-after Victorian pieces and attracting collectors from across the country.
As tastes shifted, so too did Lathams – evolving into Epping Galleries, a creative sanctuary for makers, antique dealers, and design enthusiasts.
In the 1990s, the business adopted the Lathams name, in honour of the family’s great-grandmother, and began crafting reproduction Victorian pine furniture, meticulously hand-finished in its own UK workshop.
Almost 55 years later, the business is proudly led by second-generation siblings Chris, Sarah, and Elizabeth, each bringing a unique creative lens shaped by years of learning the trade from the ground up.
Having joined the company more than five decades ago, Chris honed his craft by working side-by-side with his father and gaining an instinct for both design and business.
Sarah, whose deep love for textiles became central to the brand’s aesthetic, entered the business 40 years ago, followed by Elizabeth 28 years ago, whose background in art and photography continues to influence Lathams’ distinctive visual style. Together, they have built a close-knit team of inspiring creatives, united by a passion for interiors, craftsmanship and timeless design.
From its artisanal beginnings to its current incarnation as a refined interiors destination – part lifestyle store, part design studio – Lathams remains rooted in the values that shaped it: creativity, quality, and the belief that a home should be as individual, layered, and beautiful as the life within it.
Chris, Sarah and Elizabeth tell of a journey of resilience, creativity and the continuing legacy for their father.
Have home trends/colours/designs/patterns gone full circle?
Of course, drawing from the past is always evident in the design world and old ideas are often reworked into new modern forms. William Morris prints were big in the 1970s and have recently had a resurgence. Our parents had a big boxy pair of sofas in a famous William Morris print ‘Golden Lilly’ by Sanderson, and we recently used some of his collection in our cushion designs, so yes, full circle right there.
How homes and attitudes towards them have changed?
That is a big question because so much has changed. Our Dad built our home in the 1970s and it was considered very modern at the time. Open plan was a new concept and the desire for light and space was just emerging.
The average home however was more of a cross section of old and new as people used to inherit taste like they did furniture, from their parents. Patterns were huge in homes and fashion, and certain carpets still haunt us to this day.
In stark contrast today, our homes do not resemble our parents, and we embrace home improvements and design which has become accessible to all. A bi-product sadly has been the growing market of throw away fashion and furniture, in reaction to which thankfully, we are now seeing a resurgence in make do and mend or up-cycling. Your home is an investment; therefore, we recommend choosing quality furnishings and taking care of them so you can enjoy them for years to come.
High streets have felt the shift in shopping habits, why does Lathams continue to do well?
It has not been easy, it is true, not even for a business as established as ours, but we have a mantra – ‘What doesn’t kill us makes us more creative!’ We have been through many challenges, we keep reinventing, developing our brand and creating new and wonderful things to entice and excite our customer community. We truly believe in customer service and our wonderful sales team create a warm and professional welcome that cannot be found online.
What can people find instore?
A wonderfully curated, cacophony of beautiful furniture and accessories for the home. We constantly update stock and displays and the showroom is an ever-changing source of inspiration. Whether you’re furnishing your home or just picking up a gift, we have it all under one roof.
How the in-house label ‘Lathams with Love’ collection came about and what’s available?
We were finding it increasingly difficult to source specific items, especially for our interior’s projects, so we started to design one-off pieces to fit our briefs. This led to our bedroom furniture collection, then more cabinetry, upholstery, cushion collection, table linen and much more.
With the interior design aspect inspired by a customer, do you feel proud to bring your knowledge and vision to a wider audience?
Yes, we have to admit we were rather hesitant at first as our working lives were already full and we had young families at home, then a customer refused to buy a bed unless we helped with the entire master suite. Sometimes all you need is a nudge to release your potential, so the success of this first project some 20 years ago was the birth of our interior design journey.
We are so proud of how we have evolved this arm of the business over the years into the professional studio and team we run today. Working with so many wonderful clients, using our knowledge, passion and expertise, problem solving for them and bringing out the full potential of their homes, makes our work so rewarding. We share what we love, so they can share the home they love, with the people they love.
The interior design services available?
We create bespoke interiors that unite timeless elegance with contemporary living. Our full-service approach covers everything from consultations, space planning, and decorating schemes to bespoke furnishings, architectural detailing, and 3D design. We excel at problem-solving – finding creative, practical solutions to design challenges – while adding long-term value. From sourcing materials and liaising with craftsmen to delivering a flawless turnkey installation, we manage every detail. Whether reinventing your home, relocating, renovating, or embarking on a build, we translate your vision into a space both beautiful and functional, reflecting your personality with our signature ‘New Modern’ style. Every project is a partnership, every detail a promise, and every space a lasting investment.
Where you find inspiration?
Oh wow, everywhere! Fashion, film, nature, history. Our favourite stand out on screen interiors would be from Netflix’s ‘The Politician’, every home in that series is inspiring in some way, and ‘Ratched’ (dark but brilliant, be warned), Sharon Stone’s house in particular, plants and wallpaper in abundance, and basically anything by Wes Anderson, his incredible use of colour and symmetry translates beautifully into interiors. We reference nature a lot in Lathams, our favourite timeless colour pallet is blues and greens inspired by the landscape.
As well as having a physical presence, does being online provide more opportunity?
We introduced our online shop so we could offer our Lathams Love to a wider audience. What began as a cushion shop for our exclusive collections has expanded to include our branded scented collections, tableware, bed linen and gifts. We’re currently focusing on adding to the selection, including our exciting Christmas emporium.
What you’re proud of the most?
That we have built this business as a family. Overcoming some huge obstacles together over the years, governments have come and gone, legislations have changed not always for the better, VAT and taxes keep rising, war broke out affecting supplies, but the biggest of all was covid. Making the decision to close and send staff home, not knowing whether we would be able to survive the shut down and reopen again, was our biggest achievement. Through hard work and tenacity we not only survived but thrived after that period. We have built a brand from our father’s legacy and we believe we have ‘done him proud’.
Looking ahead…
Where do we begin? Our next big project is Christmas, deliveries are arriving and we will be introducing our own special branded designs to dec the halls the Lathams way.
We have so many ideas and are inspired to improve our business every day, but mostly we just want to share some Lathams Love with you all.
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