Edmund Bell on its rich textile heritage & supporting designers closer to home.

With over 170 years of textile heritage and a home in the North West, for Edmund Bell, arriving at Material Source Studio Manchester is about more than showcasing fabrics. It's about strengthening connections with you, the region's creative community.

The North of England has a rich history of textile innovation, craftsmanship and manufacturing. It's a heritage that continues to influence the region today, not only through the businesses that have grown here, but through the designers, architects and makers shaping its future. For Edmund Bell, that connection is particularly meaningful.

Established in 1855 and headquartered in Rochdale, Greater Manchester, Edmund Bell has long been part of the North's textile story. While the business now supplies fabrics to projects around the world, its roots remain firmly in the region. So, for them, becoming part of Material Source Studio Manchester feels like a natural next step.

Supporting design closer to home

The North is home to a thriving architecture and design community, with practices working on everything from independent hospitality destinations to major commercial and residential developments.

As a Northern business, Edmund Bell recognises the importance of supporting that creativity and making expertise, materials and inspiration more accessible. Joining Material Source Manchester provides an opportunity to do exactly that.

At Edmund Bell's new POD, designers can explore a selection of decorative and performance fabrics up close, discovering everything from beautifully textured sheers that soften and diffuse natural light to blackout and dimout fabrics designed to create the perfect balance of light, privacy and comfort.

It's a chance to see how different fabrics drape, feel their textures, compare colours and finishes, and discover how technical performance and considered design can work together. Whether looking for a soft, natural aesthetic or a high-performance light control solution, visitors can find inspiration for their next project.

More importantly, it's an opportunity to make the specification process more collaborative, bringing together the people who design spaces and those who understand the materials that help bring them to life.

A shared appreciation for materials

There's something particularly fitting about a textile specialist joining a creative community in Greater Manchester.

The region's industrial heritage was built in no small part on textiles. Today, its architecture and design community continues that relationship with materials, exploring new ways to combine aesthetics, functionality and innovation.

At Edmund Bell, that same interest in materials has guided the business for generations. As Light Control Specialists, the team understands how the right fabric can influence the way a space looks, feels and functions.

Whether it's managing daylight in a workplace, creating privacy in a healthcare environment or establishing the right atmosphere in a hotel, fabric selection plays an important role in the overall design.

And with a portfolio spanning blackouts, dimouts, sheers, upholstery, decorative fabrics and bespoke printing, there's plenty for designers to discover.

But the real value comes from the conversations around those materials: understanding what a project needs, exploring different possibilities and finding solutions that work both creatively and technically.

A new chapter, close to home

Having already joined the Material Source Studio community in London, Edmund Bell's move into Manchester represents another step in its relationship with the architecture and design industry - one with particular significance.

For a company with such longstanding Northern roots, having a presence within one of the region's leading creative spaces is an opportunity to strengthen relationships closer to home while supporting the design community that continues to thrive here.

Edmund Bell's POD is now live at Material Source Studio Manchester. Visit the Studio at 1 Federation Street, Manchester, M4 4BF, to discover the collections, explore the possibilities of light control and connect with the team. Find out more here.