Established in 2013, Manchester Brick Specialists (MBS) has cemented its place as one of the UK’s most prominent industry suppliers and distributors.
Their showroom in Ancoats, Manchester, needed to double as a creative hub. It was to be a place of connection for project specifiers, allowing them to browse products, build relationships, and foster a sense of community under one roof.
Fittingly, its location is deeply rooted in industrial history, sitting within Royal Mill, an early 20th-century cotton mill.
Ripple, a retail design and manufacturing agency based in Oldham, Greater Manchester, undertook responsibility for the showroom design. At the helm of decision-making was Daniel Wolfenden, Design and Marketing Director.
When specifying the showroom flooring, the brick weight loads and anticipated footfall from clients demanded a highly durable product.
Aesthetically, MBS loved the warmth, texture, and design versatility of wood-effect vinyl flooring from Polyflor.
The showroom now boasts approximately 160m² of Sherwood Oak Parquet (4123) from Polyflor’s trusted Expona Commercial PUR collection, laid in a herringbone pattern.
Integrated Property Solutions, a trusted Ripple contractor, managed the flooring installation, acquiring the services of a specialised flooring contractor.
Inventively, planks from different batches of Sherwood Oak were mixed during installation, embracing natural shade variations in tone and texture across the floor.
The completed showroom at Royal Mill now functions as intended, allowing clients to be inspired by the past whilst considering their future construction projects in the company of like-minded specifiers.
