History of Beaver and Tapley

The firm was founded in London by Newman Richardson, shortly before the end of the first World War, to deal in government surplus. (There never was a Mr Beaver or a Mr Tapley. The name was invented by Newman to sound as if the company was old and established.) This led to sales of regimental ties and from that to screw-up tie presses.

They in turn led to trouser presses which were a great success because imports of the wood or plywood panels, already cut to size, allowed a low selling price. However, in the early thirties the public seemed suddenly to realise that these trouser presses, unlike their electrically heated successors, did not really work and the bottom, so-to-speak, fell out of the market. What to do with the panels? Answer, tea trolleys. That's how Beaver & Tapley became furniture manufacturers.

The firm made and sold an increasing range of occasional and some bedroom furniture, with a break during the war, selling it wholly on price. In 1956 Roger Richardson joined his father Justin in the business. Together they realised that relying for their business on nothing more than being cheaper than their competitors was not the long term way forward. They therefore decided to use top flight designers, to advertise nationally and to sell on quality and design and not on price.

The first venture was the Penguin Bookshelf, designed in collaboration with Penguin Books. This was sold under an adaptation of their trade mark, and advertised by inserts in Penguins. It was an overwhelming trade success, with orders from almost every furniture retailer in the country - and just as great a public flop. With hindsight, calling it the Penguin Bookshelf was a mistake. People thought it was only for Penguin books and the design, shelves and uprights in a square frame, was right in its wall hanging version but not for the floor standing model. The fifties were too early for the idea of wall hanging for something as heavy as books.

However, the firm was convinced about the wall hanging idea. Saving space in the smaller rooms of the new houses - only one floor but four walls in every room - and was determined to succeed. A visit in 1960 to the Cologne exhibition by Roger and the designer Robert Heritage, where they saw a Swedish range of cabinets and shelves supported by wall fixed wire ladders, pointed the way forward. Do away with the constricting ladders, provide a concealed fixing batten for each piece, and you have space saving furniture with complete freedom of arrangement. The first wall fixed range, Tapley SL (SL for spirit level because there was one in every batten) was launched in 1961, and finally withdrawn in 1978 when it was overtaken by its successor, Tapley 33, which was first sold in 1975. So called because the first cabinets were all thirty three inches wide. The reason for the change was the need to provide an adjustable fixing device. Multiple piece arrangements of Tapley SL had shown that no walls are truly flat and a mechanical means of lining up was essential. The patented metal wall bar, which comes with every wall fixed piece of Tapley 33, was invented by the firm's South of England Rep. He became free-lance and has since designed every item in the range.

Floor standing pieces were soon added, but the separate sale of tops and bases, which gives the floor models as much flexibility as their wall hung counterparts, was not brought in until 1983. Burgundy Oak was introduced as the alternative to Teak in 1980, but it was a further ten years before Light Oak became the third finish option. Cherry was introduced as a fourth finish in October 1999.

Today, there are over 120 models in the range. However only one of the original list, the LC33 wall fixed cupboard, had lasted the course unaltered, and even the name has changed, now Tapley Elements. The ongoing success of the company through Tapley Elements is, of course, due to both its design and to efficient manufacture in a very well equipped factory. However, a third ingredient is the firm's consistent policy of never introducing items similar to ones made by other furniture makers. The wall fixture is obviously unique, and so is the ingenious Folding Bed. One of the dining tables has a patent and the corner TV/video units are breaking new ground. In one way the wheel has come full circle, with the very successful TAMS all media storage unit bearing a coincidental but uncanny resemblance to the wall hung Penguin Bookshelf. Newman and Justin Richardson would be amazed and amused to see what has happened over the firm's three generation story.

The Future of Beaver & Tapley

In March 1998 the Richardson family sold the company to a team of three, Tom Absolon, Roger Latham and Anthony Garside. The new management have invested, and continue to invest heavily in the company, to effect improvements in product quality, the level of service provided and to ensure the continuity of Beaver and Tapley values.

The firm has recently been awarded the ISO9002 quality standard, and as of March 2001 has relocated to new factory premises in Nottingham. The move was necessary to allow the company to expand, and to increase flexibility in its production techniques. 

Most recently, an exciting move has been to introduce a totally new collection, SPIRIT. The new collection, a seriously contemporary offering in American white Beech comprises 20 pieces, with a view to growing it in the same way as Tapley 33 has grown (Tapley Elements was just 12 pieces when launched as Tapley 33!). It opens an exciting new episode for Beaver and Tapley, who are committed to introducing new furniture to fit the lifestyle of ever changing customers. Like Tapley Elements it is both ingenious and extremely flexible (the wall panel configuration can be changed daily if you wish!), and the stylish display cabinets have many of the same features that made Tapley Elements so successful.

Do not worry though, Tapley Elements will continue to grow and develop for years to come.

The future of Beaver & Tapley is bright, and this success story of British manufacturing will surely go from strength to strength.