Torchwood designer expands empire

AN INTERIOR designer whose work has been seen on Torchwood and Big Brother is embarking on a quest for "world domination".
Lesley Taylor-Bottomley has just opened a showroom in her native Narberth, and already has stores in Cardiff and Swansea.
She is a regular contributor to Ideal Home magazine, This Morning, GMTV, and written extensively on interior design.
She supplied tiling for BBC science fiction series Torchwood and designed the bathroom and kitchen for reality TV show Big Brother 5.
This year her Welsh business Taylors Etc won Bathroom Showroom of the Year at the kbbreview industry awards.
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The three-store venture is a spin-off company from the successful family business Taylor Tiles Holdings, which has been trading for more than 40 years. It specialises in importing and distributing tiles to both the house building and commercial sectors.
In 2004 her father, Brian Taylor, decided to "enjoy a little more free time" and sold the company to his daughter and her husband Kevin.
They decided to launch the new retail brand Taylors Etc.
Taylors Tiles Holdings Ltd continues to sell to the commercial and trade sectors across the UK. Taylors Etc trades in tiles, but also bathrooms, furnishings, interior fittings, and accessories.
Its staff includes five qualified designers and is conceived as "a one stop solution" for the whole house.
It has 20 employees and a projected turnover of £5m. Barclays, which has provided the financing for the Narberth expansion, des-cribed Taylors Etc as "an excellent example of how to extend a family-run business into something new, yet still capitalising on family experience and knowledge".
Ms Taylor-Bottomley said, "We aim to provide a flexible bespoke service for every customer. Whether that may be a £30,000 bathroom which we recently designed [or someone] simply buying new curtains and 2 metres of tiles, we can do it all.
"I'm delighted to be returning to my Narberth roots with the new store but it is not a sentimental decision.
"Pembrokeshire certainly has its share of affluent customers and a second home market which we aim to tap into."
Steve Davies, Barclays corporate relationship manager, said, "By using our knowledge and experience within the business market, Barclays has been able to support Taylors Etc financially and professionally throughout this exciting expansion.
"The investment in the new premises, in such a competitive market, demonstrates both Barclays' and Taylors Etc's confidence in the continued growth and success of the business."
Ms Taylor-Bottomley said, "The future looks promising. We don't intend to franchise, we want to expand the business to perhaps eight stores across Wales within the next five years and create a brand which stands for creativity and quality.
"After that, who knows, maybe world domination?"