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1 September 2026
In 1969, Joe and Christine McLaughlin left the UK on a three-year journey via Portugal, across Europe, through Afghanistan, Pakistan and India before reaching South Africa in 1971. Along the way, they collected antiques and artefacts, sending them home as they travelled. When they returned to the UK, they began selling their finds to independent retailers and interior designers, and Libra was born.
Since then, the business has evolved through new collections, retail partnerships, five rebrands and two generations of the McLaughlin family. From those early discoveries to the Libra Interiors of today, more than five decades of people, places and ideas have shaped the brand you know now.
THE EARLY YEARS OF LIBRA INTERIORS
Travel and discovery played an important role in Libra’s beginnings. The objects Joe and Christine collected during their journey provided the starting point for the business, introducing British retailers to artifacts gathered from around the world.
In 1976, a business Joe met in Portugal, Emilio Vilar, gave Joe weighing scales to try to sell in the UK. By 1986, the Libra Scale Company was manufacturing its own replica Victorian kitchen weighing scales, manufacturing them in the UK, with India taking over and continuing for more than 30 years.
FROM INDEPENDENT RETAILERS TO DEPARTMENT STORES
As Libra grew, its retail presence expanded too.
In 2009, Libra opened its first concession within Selfridges in London, followed in 2016 by the first of many Fenwick concessions at their flagship store in Newcastle.
The following year marked another significant change as Libra moved into a new warehousing facility in Newmarket, where they remain to this day.
By 2019, Libra had opened its sixth concession within Fenwick stores, reflecting how far the business had travelled from its beginnings supplying independent retailers.
A FAMILY BUSINESS ACROSS GENERATIONS
The family has remained closely connected to Libra throughout its history. The third generation of the McLaughlin family grew with the arrival of Charlie Joseph McLaughlin in 2014, Joshua Theo McLaughlin in 2017 and Isla McLaughlin in 2020.
Alongside the family story are the people who have spent significant parts of their careers with Libra. In 2018, Alistair celebrated 40 years as Libra’s Sales Director, while in 2022, Mark Bridgeman celebrated 30 years at Libra. In 2026, Maggie retired after 42 years of service.
A NEW CHAPTER FOR LIBRA
Recent years have brought another period of change. In 2023, Libra launched the Belvedere Furniture Collection, which has become one of the brand's most popular furniture collections.
In 2024, Libra demonstrated its forward-thinking, strategic vision by running its business using Gino Wickman's Entrepreneurial Operating System, or EOS.
The latest chapter arrives in 2026 with the exciting collaboration with one of North America’s leading designers and suppliers of furnishings, SUNPAN. This exclusive partnership firmly positions Libra Interiors as a leading supplier of furnishings for commercial and residential interiors in the UK and Ireland.
MORE THAN 50 YEARS OF LIBRA
From Joe and Christine’s travels in the late 1960s to the Libra Interiors of today, the business has changed considerably.
Its collections, identity, retail and design presence have developed across more than five decades, while family, long-standing relationships and an interest in distinctive interiors have remained part of its story. More than 50 years after Libra began, that story continues to evolve.
