Warehouse transformed into creative hub by Bradford man

James Whittam, from Nab Wood, returned from London in 2018 after completing a furniture design degree but found there were hardly any studios for self-employed designers like himself to use.

As a result, he decided to transform a three-story listed warehouse, owned by the Canal and Rivers Trust into a space for local Creatives like himself to work from.

He said: "In 2013, I retrained and studied furniture design at uni and worked for a year in London freelancing, but because space is so expensive and hard to come across down there, I joined to be a member at three open workshops, which meant you just had to do an induction and then you could hire a bench in a workshop for a day, or half-day but moving back in 2018, I couldn't find anything like that here."

The studio is situated in a former warehouse

James that before he opened Wharf St Studios in Shipley, he began to look for similar workspaces in Leeds but found they were mostly desk or office spaces, rather than for industrial use, and the insurance from landlords was 'huge' because he needed to use machinery and was only just qualified, so he decided to invest in the three-story building himself.

He added: "I started to look closer to home and got in touch with local shop owners who put me in touch with people in the same position and went from there."

"Personally I'm a lot more creative around other people, even just having other people in the room, rather than just staring at a screen or a sketch pad on my own.

And it's good for us to collaborate and work together on certain things together, for example, if you can't do something, or need something doing, somebody else can usually help out."

James said that all of the studios except one that he is 'finishing off' has now been taken despite it only opening at the end of last year.

The space called Wharf St Studios is now home to an upholsterer, a milliner, an artist, a woman who designs and makes fabric samples', two jewellery makers, a florist, a ceramicist, 'and the newest tenant designs and makes bespoke audio equipment and James, a bespoke furniture designer.

In the next few weeks, a coffee shop is due to open that will act as a reception area for visitors.