Kyoto is celebrating three decades of futon, sofa bed and furniture manufacturing and importing since its switch from a retailer.
‘We were originally retailers with an expertise in sourcing quality furniture overseas, and in 1995 when our supplier of Japanese futons stopped supplying our product lines, we decided to go ahead with the design and manufacture of our own lines, which was a big leap of faith,’ says Nick Cancea, Kyoto founder.
‘The demand for futons remains strong in the UK, but over the years we’ve gained expertise in other types of furniture, and now we’re best known for our high-quality sofa bed designs as well as beds, sofas and accent chairs, some of which are handmade here in the UK.’
The company has grown to employ 30 staff at its 46,000sqft Deeping St James, Lincolnshire factory and design centre. It also has a team of consultants providing sourcing services to retailers and wholesalers.
‘We’re celebrating three decades in business this year, but we’re always reinvesting in the business to keep up with market trends, ensuring we are equipped for another 30 years of growth and innovation. The ethos of Kyoto was always to focus on function, and while trends and fashions come and go, the need for quality, multi-functioning furniture has never been greater, and we’re keeping that firmly in our minds as we relaunch the business in 2025,’ he says.
Kyoto supplies more than 500 independent UK furniture retailers, as well as dozens of etailers and multiples such as Argos, Dreams, Dunelm and Wayfair.
Kyoto has been a National Bed Federation member for almost 20 years, and Cancea thanked the association for its advice and support.
‘Nick has been an innovator in the manufacture of sofa beds since the very start of the business in the 1990s, and Kyoto has been a valued member of ours for many years. Through the NBF’s stringent auditing and code of practice requirements, we’ve been able to help them meet relevant compliance and mandatory regulations & standards. Kyoto is widely regarded as one of the leading suppliers of top-quality sofa beds, beds and furniture across the UK, and its innovative designs and styling has earned it a loyal following among independent retailers looking for design-led lines for their customers,’ says Simon Williams, NBF head of marketing and membership.
