Vimto. Rolls Royce. Warburtons. Brands as northern as a misty morning in the Dales. But what about the northern names shaping how we live, furnish and feel at home?
Home and interiors is our world, and the North knows how to get it right – from flooring to furniture. Here are five brands bringing genuine northern quality into homes across the UK.
- Carron Bathrooms – Falkirk
Carron Bathrooms has a heritage that goes back over 260 years to the original Carron Company, a key player in the Industrial Revolution. The company once made the famous Carronade cannons used by the Royal Navy and later produced the iconic red telephone boxes and pillar boxes.
Today, based in Falkirk with over 200 employees, Carron Bathrooms combines traditional craftsmanship with modern technology. They specialise in cast iron baths and bathroom suites, including their patented Carronite material, which offers enhanced strength and heat retention. Carron remains a true northern icon known for quality and durability.
- Barker & Stonehouse – Stockton‑on‑Tees
A family-run business since 1946, Barker & Stonehouse has become a staple across northern England with stylish, quality furniture. Their mix of designer brands and in-house ranges shows real care for design and craftsmanship, while their growing focus on sustainability keeps them ahead of the curve.
- Twyford Bathrooms – Alsager
Founded in 1849 and still going strong, Twyford is the type of bathroom brand that proves heritage doesn’t have to mean old fashioned. They have innovation running through every tap and flush, with their Flushwise technology using 60% less water than a standard toilet.
Having merged with Geberit in 2015, the company now has over 900 staff. This is a brand which has one foot in the past and both eyes on the future. Not bad for a brand old enough to remember Queen Victoria.
- British Hardwoods – Keighly
From the rainy streets of the Yorkshire Dales comes a brand putting warmth and quality under your feet. British Hardwoods create long-lasting, seriously stunning flooring and they do it with care, character and craftsmanship.
What started in 1992 as a one-man operation has grown into one of the UK’s top makers of solid and engineered wood flooring. British Hardwoods combines quality craft with a strong focus on sustainability – sourcing timber responsibly and reusing all wood waste to heat their factory.
No gimmicks, no shortcuts, just good old northern know-how. If you are after the opposite of mass produced, this is for you.
- Victorian Plumbing – Merseyside
Based in Merseyside, Victorian Plumbing has grown into the UK’s biggest online bathroom retailer. They offer a huge range of stylish, reliable bathroom products that homes across the country trust. With over 900 people on the team, boosted by the recent purchase of Victoria Plum, they’ve built a company that’s slick, streamlined, and fully digital.
Their products arrive fast, look great, and stand up to everyday life, proving you don’t need bricks and mortar to build a strong, trusted brand.
At Cairn, this is our patch.
We work with home and interiors brands across the UK, but there is something special about the ones up North. They have got character, conviction and creativity in spades and we know how to turn that into brand stories that stick.
We know the sector. We know the region. And we know how to build brands that last.
Knock on if you want to be one of them.
