Corner Farm Interiors at Kates Bridge near Thurlby will close next month after 32 years

A self-taught furniture maker is closing his shop after 32 years to focus on bespoke orders.

Will Vergette launched Corner Farm Interiors from a barn in Market Deeping before relocating to his current premises at Kates Bridge near Thurlby.

The shop sits alongside the A15 and has 12 showrooms with a range of furniture, gifts and accessories.

It will close next month, although the final day of trading depends on how quickly the remaining stock is sold.

Will said: “The decision to close was a natural progression. Our 10-year lease is coming to an end and we felt that it’s the right time.

“Lots of people think the closure is due to covid, but that has nothing to do with it. Covid has had very little impact on the business.”

Will had previously worked on his family’s farm in Market Deeping. It was 1989 when he decided to launch the business from a disused barn.

As the business grew he relocated to Kates Bridge.

After the move, Will’s wife Jo joined the business and they branched out into selling accessories alongside the high-quality furniture.

Will’s new focus will be the made-to-measure side of the business, which he will run from his home in Manthorpe.

He said: “This has become the backbone of the business and has been our lifeline over the last 10 years with the rise of internet shopping.

“Online shopping drives prices down so we started to focus more on the made-to-measure items.”

The company website will undergo a revamp to relaunch the business.

Will added: “It has been great meeting the customers. Some of them go back 30 years and we’ve got to know them as friends.

“I’d like to thank all our customers - we couldn’t have done it without them.”