A Hull independent decor shop is now in its ninth year and the family-run establishment has ambitious plans for the future.

The striking Edwardian building in 614 Holderness Road was once the William Jackson and Son butcher shop, now instead of meat on hooks it stocks heavily discounted Italian wallpapers by brands like Versace, Lamborghini, and Roberto Cavalli. Hull Live spoke with director James Robinson about how business has been in a landscape blighted by recession and elusive post-Brexit trade deals.

James said his mum, Diane Robinson, bought the business in 2015 “almost on a whim” after she retired, having been a customer herself for several years. In the eight years his mum has run it, the turnover has increased more than five-fold, he said.

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Before Diane took over, the business was run in a very “non-technical” way, James recalled. It was based in a smaller unit across the road, didn’t have a website, and was somewhat scruffier than the modern shop.

The savvy family – which includes Diane’s daughter Penny Clarke and her sons James and Mark Robinson – not only took the business online but found a niche in the market. Buying up end-of-the-line designer wallpaper, they can not only sell it at a massively reduced price but offer stock that can’t be found anywhere else.

James recalled customers travelling from all over the country to buy up wallpaper they’d spotted in a catalogue but been unable to source anywhere else. “We had someone come from London and he pulled up outside in a Ferrari and asked for a discount,” James said.

Home Decor Hull even has customers in America and across Europe – but since Brexit, there’s been a hitch. James said: “We once sent off a lampshade to Ireland and she, the customer, was told to pay £50 at customs even though the lampshade wasn’t even worth that much.”

Although, in theory, anything below €150 in value shouldn’t have Customs Duty, James said there were often problems and sending stuff to the EU can now be more trouble than it is worth.

“We’ve [the UK] not been able to get a trade deal with America either, and I think it’s because the President has close ties with Ireland and is not happy with how things worked out with Brexit,” he said.

James has also noticed fewer funding opportunities for businesses; not so long ago a Kickstart Scheme enabled Home Decor Hull to employ Zarra Farrer, who manages their social media. The scheme helped employers create jobs for 16 to 24 year olds on Universal Credit but was axed in 2021.

“Investments into smaller businesses have been drying up, some of the funding was from the EU,” he said. Despite the challenging circumstances, James says they will be able to pivot once more.

“Online was a massive boost, America was a massive boost, I’m not sure what the next boost will be but we are thinking of going into interior design. We’ve got a lot of skills between us and a number of people will ask us to visit their homes.”

Home Decor Hull recently introduced a fabrics range to go with its wallpers and James hopes a made-to-measure service for curtains, bedding, and upholstery will soon be in the works. For now, they offer a range of more than 200 pattern books, vinyl wallpaper priced from £5 a roll, and the personal touch you’d expect from an independent.

“We’re all from Hull, we were born here and most of us still live near the shop,” James said. “We want to offer something different from B&Q and Home Bargains – and we do.”