AN expanding upmarket interior design and retail business is to open its third showroom with a £300,000 investment in Ilkley.

Richard Grafton Interiors, which launched in 2012, will open the new 3,000 sq ft retail premises at Crescent Court in September. The development will create three jobs.

It marks the latest expansion by the £2.1million turnover Harrogate-based firm and its first outside the town where Richard Grafton Interiors and its architectural installations division have showrooms and offices.

In April, Richard Grafton announced a new venture manufacturing his own range of hand made British furniture designed in-house.

The Ilkley showroom will be the first to stock the new range when it is unveiled later in the year.

As well as being a West Yorkshire base for the business, the opening of the new studio and retail space will create jobs for a showroom manager and two interior designers.

The ground floor showroom, situated on the A65 Leeds Road in the Crescent Court development, will be designed as a luxury apartment to showcase interiors and installations such as kitchens, bathrooms and entertainment technology installations, with an interior design studio on site.

Richard Grafton said: “Ilkley was the natural next location for us. We have always done a lot of work for clients in and around Ilkley, and its popularity as a place to live continues, especially with professionals working in Leeds and Bradford.

“We have been planning a move to the town for some time, but we wanted to wait for the perfect location to become available, and it was worth the wait.

“It is great to be investing in the showroom here to showcase our work, and to create a base for our designers. The retail space here will be the main furniture showroom for the new range that we will launch in autumn 2016.

“Our design team is in increasing demand on projects across the whole region and we have grown to 13 staff in just four years.

“With more recruits set to join us and the opening of the new showroom in September, we are keen to keep expanding as our name and reputation spreads outside North Yorkshire.”

Richard Grafton Interiors’ main 5,000 sq ft showroom and head office are in central Harrogate and the firm also has a warehouse in the town.

Richard Grafton Interiors carries out interior design and architectural projects at residential and business properties ranging from historic homes to modern commercial sites.