Loom Loft Furniture & Interiors mural revealed as opening date set for new Preston store

Loom Loft Furniture and Interiors are opening a new store and bistro at Trident Retail Park on Port Way at 9am on Thursday, April 25.

In a tribute to Preston Docks and the town’s rich textile history, the store has been working with local artist Shawn Sharpe.

Shawn, who also goes by the tag name Reasm One, has been a graffiti street artist for 15 years.

He is well-known in the Preston area, having created famous pieces including ‘Mother’ at Hogarth’s, ‘Betsy Leigh’ and ‘Pauline in the Yellow Dress’.

He focuses on large- scale murals that celebrate Preston’s history and culture.

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Tracy Leeming, Marketing Manager at Loom Loft, said “As soon as we decided to open our new store at the docks we identified a space that was perfect for a large mural and wanted to work with Shawn as we were familiar with his amazing work.

“As a company we pride ourselves on sourcing our products from Lancashire suppliers and manufacturers and so we were excited to approach and work with a local artist on our venture.

“It’s been a pleasure to work with Shawn and the final mural is truly spectacular, we can’t wait for our customers to see it and think it will be a great central feature and talking point.”

Shawn received more than 222 comments after asking members of the ‘Preston Past and Present’ Facebook group for their stories of the docks and its rich industrial heritage to give him inspiration.

The final design includes some of these suggestions including a bunch of Fyffes bananas and importer to the docks, a spider (that were known to sneak on the banana boats), the Manxman, a famous nightclub on the docks, the iconic swing bridge and the No 10 Victoria warehouse building.

One of the ships on the mural is also named the ‘Betsy Leigh’ which is a reference to another of Shawn’s pieces of work of a weaver on The Wheatsheaf Pub in Ashton.

The final design also features two outstanding portraits of a male dock worker and a female textile weaver.

Shawn said: “When I heard the rough brief, I knew I wanted to incorporate the Docklands into the mural and pay homage to its rich history. I

“ I am unaware of any retail stores in the UK that have large-scale murals indoors, making it a unique space.

“It's been a pleasure to work with Loom Loft, giving me a lot of creative freedom and bringing the best out of a space where you wouldn’t normally expect a mural.

“I can't wait for the people of Preston to see it, it'll be the perfect backdrop to showcase what Loom Loft does.”

The new store promises to be a hub of innovation and style, offering an extensive range of trend setting and an eclectic mix of sofas, dining sets, occasional furniture and home accessories.

This will be Loom Loft’s 4th store and will also include its second Loft Bistro with a chic industrial feel.

Loom Loft’s 4th store, which will neighbour a new Aldi store, will also include its second Loft Bistro with a chic industrial feel.

This has proven to be a popular and enjoyable concept at its Clitheroe location and features a diverse menu crafted by a talented culinary team.

The new store and bistro will open on Thursday 25 th April at 9am. www.loomloft.co.uk