For 80 years, Cookes Furniture has been part of the homes and stories of families across the region. From our earliest days to the present, we’ve remained committed to quality, craftsmanship and personal service - values that have carried us through generations and continue to guide us today.
What began as a vision to provide well-made, beautifully crafted furniture has grown into a trusted name known for expertise, care and attention to detail. Over the decades, we’ve seen styles evolve and homes change, but our purpose has always stayed the same: to help our customers create spaces that feel welcoming, comfortable and truly their own.
Today, Cookes Furniture stands as one of the region’s most trusted names in home interiors, proudly celebrating 80 years of craftsmanship, service and family tradition. Family-run and now in its third generation of leadership, our business continues to be guided by the same values it was founded on - quality, integrity and personal service.
For eight decades, we have championed beautifully crafted furniture and accessories from some of the finest brands in the world, combining expert knowledge with the personal touch our customers know and appreciate.
Across our thoughtfully curated showrooms, our dedicated team helps families create spaces that feel welcoming, comfortable and truly their own. From timeless classics to contemporary collections, our focus remains unchanged - exceptional quality, considered design and service you can rely on.
As we mark this milestone year, we remain as passionate about beautiful homes as we were on day one. While styles may evolve and trends may change, our commitment to craftsmanship, care and community endures - and we look forward to continuing our story for generations to come.
We now have two prestigious showrooms, each thoughtfully designed to inspire and help you bring your ideal home to life. Carefully curated displays showcase a wide range of styles, fabrics and finishes, allowing you to explore possibilities and experience the quality and craftsmanship of our collections firsthand.
As our business has grown, so too has our commitment to meeting your needs beyond furniture - leading to the introduction of Cookes Self Storage Service. Designed with the same focus on quality, reliability and customer care that defines our showrooms, our storage facilities provide a secure, flexible solution for homes and businesses alike.
Whether you’re moving house, renovating, decluttering or simply in need of extra space, Cookes Self Storage offers convenience and peace of mind. With clean, accessible units and a team you can trust, we’re proud to support our customers not just in furnishing their homes, but in managing every stage of life’s transitions.
What began as a secure, highly regarded storage facility in Sutton Coldfield has grown into a trusted service supporting customers in Stratford-upon-Avon, with Christchurch opening soon. Built on the same principles of reliability, care and attention to detail that have defined Cookes for 80 years, our self storage facilities are a natural extension of our commitment to supporting customers beyond the showroom.
Whether you’re moving home, renovating, decluttering, or running a business, we provide flexible and secure solutions for belongings of every size. With clean, well-maintained units, convenient access and a team always on hand to help, Cookes Self Storage offers the reassurance and peace of mind you would expect from a family business with generations of experience.
These storage services reflect the same values - quality, care and customer focus - that have defined Cookes Furniture for eight decades.
Behind every generation of Cookes Furniture is the story of the man who started it all. To understand our journey, we need to go back to the very beginning.
Edward Ronald Cooke was born on 29th November 1924 in Church Lane, Aston. Leaving school at just 14, he began work as an apprentice fitter and turner before training as a tool setter at Dunlop in Erdington.
Although in a reserved occupation, Ted volunteered for the Royal Navy in 1942 at the age of 18. After training, he served as a Petty Officer Electric Artificer aboard HMS Diadem, escorting Arctic convoys to Russia - one of the most dangerous missions of the war. Convoys of merchant ships faced constant threat from German U-boats and aircraft in freezing, unforgiving conditions. Though HMS Diadem came under fire, Ted was fortunate to return home unharmed.
The courage, resilience and determination forged during these early years would shape the character of the man who went on to build Cookes Furniture.
During his service in the Royal Navy, Ted met his future wife, Alicia, while docked in Newcastle-upon-Tyne. They married in December 1945 and began their life together in Walmley, Sutton Coldfield.
Leaving the Navy with £75 in demobilisation money, Ted was determined to build something of his own rather than return permanently to factory work. He began with a travelling book lending round, delivering door to door and gradually building a loyal customer base. Resourceful and adaptable, he later expanded into household goods and haberdashery, developing a strong and successful credit round supplied from Birmingham.
By the late 1960s, recognising the growing demand for fitted carpets, Ted once again evolved the business - a decision that proved transformative. What had started from the family home soon outgrew its surroundings. In 1971, he purchased and swiftly demolished an old post office on Jockey Road in Sutton Coldfield to make way for new premises, marking a decisive step forward in the growth of the Cookes business.
Ted’s son, Graham, was born in 1952 and joined the business in 1972 after studying at Carnegie College in Leeds. Working side by side, father and son sold to customers, delivered furniture and fitted carpets, building the business through hard work and personal commitment.
As their focus sharpened, the credit round was sold, allowing the family to concentrate fully on carpets and furniture. While carpet sales gradually declined, demand for furniture continued to grow. Recognising the shift, the Cookes expanded their furniture offering, introducing a wider choice of respected brand names supported by the personal service that would become their hallmark.
The business was renamed Cooke and Son Furniture, marking its evolution into a true family enterprise. The Jockey Road shop was also among the first retailers in the area to offer customers a discount - a bold and forward-thinking move that helped set Cookes apart.
With a growing reputation for quality and value, the business continued to strengthen in the years that followed. Customers returned not only for the expanding range of furniture, but for the knowledgeable advice and personal service that truly set Cookes apart. Every sale was built on trust, every delivery handled with care, and every recommendation offered with genuine expertise and pride.
As word spread, the Cookes name became increasingly associated with reliability, fairness and a commitment to doing things properly. The business was never simply about transactions - it was about relationships. Generations of families began to furnish their homes with Cookes, confident in both the products they were buying and the people they were buying from.
Through changing trends and evolving styles, the family remained adaptable while staying true to their core values of quality, service and integrity. It was this steady, thoughtful growth that prepared Cookes for the next stage of its journey.
In 1982, Cooke & Son took a significant step in the growth of the business, acquiring the former Stone’s Laundry premises - a three-acre site on Goosemoor Lane, Erdington - from the Birmingham Co-Op. The purchase marked a major milestone, reflecting both the success achieved to date and the family’s clear vision for continued expansion.
The 12,000 sq ft building, though in a rundown condition at the time of purchase, was rapidly transformed into a fully functioning furniture showroom in just three months - a testament to the family’s determination and hands-on commitment. On 18th October 1984, the doors officially opened, unveiling a space that represented not only growth in size, but a bold new vision for the future of the business.
Customers were now able to explore a far wider choice of furniture within spacious, purpose-designed displays, reflecting the increasing demand and ambition of the company. The move allowed Cooke & Son to elevate both its offering and the overall shopping experience.
Growth followed swiftly. Within seven years, a series of extensions had expanded the site to an impressive 65,000 sq ft, with further developments continuing in the years that followed. What had begun decades earlier as a small, home-run enterprise was now firmly established as one of the region’s most significant and recognisable furniture destinations.
As the business continued to expand, Cookes quickly became a recognised and respected name within the region. Featuring in local newspapers and receiving prestigious industry awards, the company’s reputation extended far beyond its showroom walls.
This recognition was not built on size alone, but on trust. Customers returned year after year, confident in the quality of the furniture, the fairness of the pricing, and the integrity of the service they received. Word-of-mouth recommendations became one of the company’s greatest strengths, with generations of families choosing Cookes for life’s most important purchases.
Growth was steady and considered, always guided by a commitment to craftsmanship and long-term relationships rather than short-term gain. Quality remained at the heart of every decision - from the brands selected to the service provided - ensuring that Cookes was not simply growing, but growing with purpose.
By this stage, Cookes was more than a retailer; it had become a trusted household name, synonymous with reliability, value and personal service.
In 1993, Cookes took its next major step in expansion, opening a new showroom in Christchurch, Dorset. The move marked the company’s growth beyond the Midlands, bringing the Cookes approach to quality, choice and personal service to a new community.
To coincide with this exciting development, the business evolved its name from Cooke & Son to Cookes Furniture - a change that reflected its broader identity while honouring the family heritage at its heart. The new showroom strengthened the brand’s presence and signalled a confident new era of growth.
Today, the third generation of the Cookes family continues the legacy, with Graham’s three daughters - Michelle Pike, Vanessa Hoe and Jennifer Davies - playing an active role in the business. Alongside Managing Director James Pike, they help guide Cookes Furniture into its next chapter, combining fresh perspective with decades of experience.
While the business has grown and evolved over 80 years, family remains firmly at its heart. The same values of integrity, personal service and commitment to quality continue to shape every decision and every customer experience.
It’s all part of our commitment to the people we serve - a business built on family principles, dedicated to helping families create homes they love.
From our family to yours.
From a single showroom in Sutton Coldfield to a multi-location retailer and service provider, our story continues to unfold - both in our showrooms and online at cookesfurniture.co.uk. As we celebrate 80 years, we reflect on our rich heritage and our future-forward vision.
From our roots as a trusted, family-run business to our evolution as a modern furniture brand, Cookes has always balanced tradition with progress. While trends in furniture and home living may evolve, our devotion to craftsmanship, service, and community remains unchanged.
We look back with gratitude to the generations of customers, partners, and team members who have shaped our journey. Your trust and loyalty have been the foundation of our success, and we are proud to continue serving homes across the region with the same care and commitment that defined our earliest days.
Thank you for being part of our story - from our family to yours. Here’s to many more years of making houses feel like home.
