The story of Jim Lawrence began in 1994 at Jim and Sheena's Suffolk farm. Jim was busy rearing pigs and cows but it was clear that stock farming on such a small scale was not going to be profitable and he needed to find something else to do.

He decided to set up a forge in one of the farm buildings and experimented by making specialist metal pieces for friends and neighbours. From producing a small range of candlesticks and chandeliers that he sold at fairs and markets, he moved on to gates, railings and curtain poles.

From his customers reactions, Jim realised there was a demand for stylish, designer quality fixtures and fittings for the home, made with natural materials.

Following the company's first substantial order making park fencing for a local farmer, Jim was able to expand, refurbishing farm buildings and employing more people to start selling by mail order.

By 2000 Jim Lawrence had expanded to such a degree that Jim knew he had to move. The business had outgrown the farm buildings it was housed in and customers, staff and delivery men struggled daily down a bumpy farm track to find it.

Since most of the staff came from the nearby market town of Hadleigh, Suffolk, in 2008 Jim moved the company there, taking over an empty bottling factory on the outskirts of town that came with lots of room for workshops, offices and a warehouse.

Today, our business employs a skilled team of 120 engineers, welders, painters, seamstresses, designers, lampshade makers and technicians, alongside a full cohort of support staff.

In 2019 we opened our first showroom outside Suffolk, in Bath's Walcot Street, in the heart of the city's artisan quarter, having transformed a beautiful Georgian building into a fabulous space to showcase our designs.

This was followed, in 2025, by our latest showroom in London. 94 Pimlico Road lies in the Pimlico Road Design District known for its concentration of antiques, boutique hotels, eateries and interior design shops.

Over the past 20 years we have worked very hard to build up a reputation for making classic, high quality products using traditional, handcrafted techniques so when you buy from us, it really is us you are dealing with.

Jim Lawrence is a truly family business, still run by Jim and Sheena and employing up to three generations of local families, as well as several pairs of husbands and wives (mostly amicably!) and recruiting the best skill that Suffolk (and beyond) has to offer.

We have come a long way since our farm days and you may no longer have to bump down a track to find us. But our ethos remains the same: to provide individually handmade products and the highest possible levels of customer service