Quality and Service since 1895

Martin & Son, the renowned Scottish home furnishers, have been supplying quality, design and service in bedding and a huge range of household furnishings for well over 100 years. The Victorian shop of 1895 in the prestigious shopping area of George Street, is long since gone, but the principals held by the founder remain central to the company today.

 

1895 – 1914
At the age of 52, and with an initial investment of just £574, William Martin began trading Martin & Son in 1895 as the ‘Leading Bedding House in the City’ renovating and refurbishing mattresses, becoming famous for the ‘Sleepwell’ brand of mattresses. He set up the business with damages awarded from a libel claim against the local Edinburgh Evening Dispatch newspaper over claims of his dismissal from the Royal Blind Asylum.

Customer care and integrity have always been a longstanding Martin tradition and he soon became known as a ‘Rest Specialist’, with expertise in all aspects of bedroom furniture and bedding. With a wide range to choose from even then, Martin’s bedsteads soon became famous for exclusive design, lasting quality and their distinctive characteristics.

 

1914 – 1939
Martin & Son’s profits and sales rose dramatically after World War 1, attributing their growing number of satisfied customers to the excellent quality coupled with moderate prices. The innovative range quickly expanded to include cabinet making, upholstery, soft furnishings, sofas and easy chairs – the highest standards of craftsmanship were demanded and adhered to.

Most notable was the commission in the late 1930’s by the Bank of Scotland for its very own boardroom table and chairs for their Edinburgh headquarters on the Mound.

 

1939 – 1974
1952 saw the move to ‘Martin of George Street’ which is still remembered by many today, with a bigger and better showroom of furniture, and the first ever retailer to introduce late night shopping as we now know it. Customer service was paramount, and in the early 60’s continuous improvements saw greater discounts and credit terms and even then customers benefited from the introduction of a complete home interior design, decorating and furnishing service, which is still offered to this day.

By 1964 the George Street showroom boasted four floors offering the largest selection of furniture in Scotland. To this day, the friendly and competent manner of the staff is an impressive characteristic of the company.

 

100 years on
By 1974 Martin & Son possessed an enviable store in Edinburgh with four generations of the Martin family involved – a great strength of the family nature of the business.

1977 saw the birth of Martin & Frost in George Street, and the company continued to develop as a first-class house furnisher, emphasising quality, service and distinctiveness. Work at Holyrood Palace began over several years, including quality upholstery, repair work to valuable old carpets and fitting dramatic new carpets.

1989 saw the move from the historical George Street location to McDonald Road which suited more modern retailing needs and overcame the parking difficulties of Edinburgh city centre.
Over 100 years on and Martin & Frost remains one of the leading home furnishers in Scotland. Success has been built on traditional values, attention to detail, emphasis on quality craftsmanship and an insistence on customer service.

2007 Onwards
The move now to Fort Kinnaird, marks another significant milestone in the company’s history to an even larger store with a wider range of furniture brands.

It’s an exciting time not just for us, but our customers too, Never in our history have we been able to provide quality furniture on such a massive scale. And whilst we’ve become big, we’ll never forget to uphold the same principles that we had when we started out in 1895.