Roomes & Our Heritage
A family business trading since 1888
Roomes has been trading since 1888 and was incorporated as Roomes Stores Limited in 1927.
For more than 135 years, Roomes has been part of the story of homes and families across Essex and East London. What began as a small general store founded by James Roome has grown through five generations of the Roome family. Today, Roomes Furniture & Interiors in Upminster, Essex, continues that family tradition, combining quality furniture and interiors with friendly, knowledgeable service and a commitment to helping customers make themselves a home.
The Roomes Story Begins – 1888
The Roomes story began in 1888 on Green Street, Upton Park, where founder James Roome, a Master Draper, opened a general store. The shop served the local community with an extensive range of goods, from haberdashery and homewares to clothing and corsets. It was the beginning of a family business that would continue to evolve for generations. As the business developed, James acquired premises in Engayne Gardens, Upminster, recognising the potential of a town that was beginning a period of significant growth. Around this time, James's son Millice Roome, a newly qualified draper, joined his father in the business, which was still trading from Green Street. The business subsequently became known as James Roome & Son. Following James Roome's death in 1913, Millice continued to develop the family business. He also recognised the rapid expansion of Upminster as it grew from a village into a thriving London suburb.
Roomes Comes to Station Road, Upminster – 1927
A major new chapter began when land was acquired in Upminster in 1925. Two years later, Roomes Stores Limited was incorporated in 1927, and the new Roomes store opened on Station Road, Upminster, on 4 May 1927. Following the closure of the original Green Street store, the family's attention was focused on developing the new Upminster business. The grand re-opening was held n 1937 following expansion and attracted considerable attention. As the first departmental store in the Hornchurch Urban District, the new Roomes was hailed as “magnificent in its splendour and luxurious in its fittings.” It established a standard for quality and customer experience that would remain at the heart of the Roomes name for generations.
Growth Through the Generations
Roomes continued to expand throughout the decades that followed. Post-war growth brought further acquisitions, including the establishment of a dedicated furniture store in the late 1950s, marking an important step towards the furniture and interiors business customers know today. Expansion continued through the 1970s and 1980s, followed by the addition of a three-storey extension to the department store in 1991. The Roome family's presence on Station Road continued to grow, with the acquisition of a further site formerly occupied by Talbot's Garage.
The Furniture & Interiors Store – 2001
In 2001, Roomes opened a purpose-built 25,000 sq ft furniture store on Station Road, Upminster. This became the foundation of today's Roomes Furniture & Interiors showroom. Further expansion followed between 2006 and 2007, when Roomes acquired a neighbouring DIY store and incorporated the premises into the furniture business. The development increased the showroom to an impressive 42,000 sq ft, establishing Roomes as one of the largest furniture and interiors destinations in the region. Today, the showroom at 22–24 Station Road, Upminster, Essex, brings together furniture, beds, mattresses, home décor, lighting, flooring and interior design, with collections from leading British and international furniture brands.
Five Generations of the Roome Family
More than a century after James Roome first opened his doors in Upton Park, the family story continues. The department store side of the former Roomes business was sold and is now operated separately by another family-owned retailer, Morleys Stores. Roomes Furniture & Interiors remains a Roome family business, run by the fourth and fifth generations of the Roome family. From James Roome's general store in 1888 to today's 42,000 sq ft Upminster furniture and interiors showroom, much has changed. What has remained constant is the family's commitment to quality, choice, knowledgeable service and genuine customer care. That heritage continues to shape Roomes today.
Trading since 1888. Incorporated as Roomes Stores Limited in 1927.
Five generations of the Roome family.