A British shop owner has been helping restore Chinese antique furniture in his store in Bradford, offering an extensive selection of vintage products to UK customers who have a special love for Oriental artistry.

James Cottrell has been running his company since 2003, which specializes in transforming Chinese furniture. Shimu, his Chinese antique and oriental furniture shop, offers a wide range of traditionally crafted furniture, restored Chinese antique furniture, and other beautiful home accessories inspired by the East to customers around the UK.

With a strong passion for collecting and restoring Chinese vintage furniture, Cottrell collaborates with antique hunters who scour villages across China to find unique pieces.

Some of the ancient furniture is shipped over exactly as it is, while others need restoration and undergo a process that helps keep traditional Chinese craftsmanship alive.

Repairing the collected furniture is not just restoring them to what they used to look like, said Cottrell, adding that the process requires creativity, which helps inject new vitality into the ancient pieces and make them better meet the tastes of modern customers.

"There's a lot of pieces where you really have to use your imagination in some cases, because they look really far gone and you think you have...how can you breathe new life into that. But the guys we work with are very skilled," he said.

Cottrell said his customers are extremely varied, ranging from individuals with a connection to China to those who simply love the style, and his business demonstrates the existence of a niche market that bears a special interest in the broader Chinese culture.

"A lot of the time it's maybe one accent piece for a room, like a nice painted cabinet, or an altar table or something like that. But it really does vary. You know, we've had people who have pretty much done the whole house out in an oriental style," he said.