DESIGN RESEARCH LIMITED
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Next accounts due
2026-12-31 (in 7mo)
Last filed for 2025-03-31
Confirmation statement due
2027-02-19 (in 9mo)
Last made up 2026-02-05
Watchouts
None on the register
Cash
£719K
+86.9% vs 2024
Net assets
-£10M
-3.8% lowest in 6 filed years
Employees
64
-8.6% lowest in 6 filed years
Profit before tax
-£385K
+80.5% highest in 6 filed years
Net assets
6-year trend · vs Consumer Discretionary median
Accounts
6-year trend · latest reflected 2025-03-31
| Metric | Trend | 2020-03-31 | 2021-03-31 | 2022-03-31 | 2023-03-31 | 2024-03-31 | 2025-03-31 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Turnover | £21,251,380 | — | — | £20,880,638 | £20,734,843 | £20,014,577 | |
| Operating profit | -£8,125,545 | — | — | -£3,840,870 | -£1,688,615 | -£146,864 | |
| Profit before tax | -£8,259,639 | -£2,630,930 | -£2,160,568 | -£4,003,285 | -£1,968,448 | -£384,716 | |
| Net profit | -£8,010,266 | £2,262,638 | -£1,856,251 | -£4,003,285 | -£1,968,448 | -£384,716 | |
| Cash | £147,052 | £801,821 | £1,233,758 | £94,851 | £384,808 | £719,199 | |
| Total assets less current liabilities | £537,198 | -£1,120,890 | -£1,415,100 | -£5,959,238 | -£8,479,871 | -£9,414,587 | |
| Net assets | £273,284 | -£2,254,701 | -£4,110,952 | -£8,114,237 | -£10,082,685 | -£10,467,401 | |
| Equity | £273,284 | -£2,254,701 | -£4,110,952 | -£8,114,237 | -£10,082,685 | -£10,467,401 | |
| Average employees | 101 | 81 | 77 | 74 | 70 | 64 | |
| Wages | £5,186,680 | — | — | £3,596,948 | £3,865,932 | £3,532,104 | |
| Directors' remuneration | £112,893 | £160,120 | £207,299 | £210,128 | £275,867 | £261,571 |
Values shown as filed in the company's annual accounts. — indicates the figure wasn't present under that line item in that period. About these numbers
Year-on-year
FY2024 → FY2025 · period ending 2025-03-31 vs 2024-03-31
-
Turnover
-3.5%
£20,734,843 £20,014,577
lowest in 4 filed years
-
Cash
+86.9%
£384,808 £719,199
-
Net assets
-3.8%
-£10,082,685 -£10,467,401
lowest in 6 filed years
-
Employees
-8.6%
70 64
lowest in 6 filed years
-
Operating profit
+91.3%
-£1,688,615 -£146,864
highest in 4 filed years
-
Profit before tax
+80.5%
-£1,968,448 -£384,716
highest in 6 filed years
-
Wages
-8.6%
£3,865,932 £3,532,104
lowest in 4 filed years
Each % is (latest − prior) ÷ |prior| for the line item as filed. The comparison is only shown when the latest and prior accounts cover broadly equal-length periods — short or long stubs (typical around incorporation or a year-end change) are suppressed rather than misrepresented. Lines a company doesn't report are omitted. About these numbers
Ratios
Computed from the line items above — sparklines read oldest → newest
| Ratio | Trend | 2020-03-31 | 2021-03-31 | 2022-03-31 | 2023-03-31 | 2024-03-31 | 2025-03-31 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Operating margin | -38.2% | — | — | -18.4% | -8.1% | -0.7% | |
| Net margin | -37.7% | — | — | -19.2% | -9.5% | -1.9% | |
| Return on capital employed | -1512.6% | — | — | 64.5% | 19.9% | 1.6% | |
| Current ratio | — | — | — | — | 0.50x | 0.45x | |
| Interest cover | -60.59x | — | — | -23.65x | -6.03x | -0.62x |
Margins divide P&L lines by turnover. Gearing is liabilities over total assets. Current ratio is current assets over creditors falling due within one year. Interest cover is operating profit over absolute finance costs. Sector-distribution context coming next.
Audit & accounting basis
- Accounting basis
- FRS 102
- Reporting scope
- Standalone (parent only)
- Auditor
- Buzzacott Audit LLP
- Audit opinion
- Unqualified (clean)
- Going concern
- Affirmed
“Based on the work we have performed, we have not identified any material uncertainties relating to events or conditions that, individually or collectively, may cast significant doubt on the company's ability to continue as a going concern for a period of at least twelve months from when the financial statements are authorised for issue.”
Group structure
- DESIGN RESEARCH LIMITED · parent
- Design Research Hong Kong Limited 100%
- Design Research United States Limited 100%
- The Coal Office Restaurant Limited 100%
- Tom Dixon Italia srl 100%
- Design Research Netherlands BV 100%
- Tom Dixon (Shanghai) Trading Company Ltd 100%
Significant events
- “The year under review was a year of transformation, implementing our business strategy to revitalise the company and establish the building blocks for the future.”
- “The new leadership team is driving global excellence across all revenue streams and distribution channels. We have re-platformed our direct-to-consumer website to improve the customer experience and a new business-to-business website is being launched in the current financial year; A pipeline of irresistible products is being successfully launched, underpinned by iconic and innovative design.”
- “The company continues to invest in the development and innovation of new interior lighting products. During the year, the company incurred £318,902 of development expenses, excluding salaries (2024: £256,433).”
Auditor, going-concern and subsidiary information is drawn from the narrative of the latest annual accounts. About these numbers
People
2 active · 15 resigned
| Name | Role | Appointed | Born | Nationality |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| JONES, Thomas Henry | Director | 2023-10-09 | Oct 1961 | British |
| WILLIAMS, Nicola Rosemary Lucy | Director | 2024-06-27 | Dec 1968 | British |
Show 15 resigned officers
| Name | Role | Appointed | Resigned |
|---|---|---|---|
| BEGG, David Anthony | Secretary | 2001-12-10 | 2010-03-17 |
| BUCK, David Michael | Secretary | 2019-05-31 | 2020-08-17 |
| TROTMAN, Michael Patrick Mayo | Secretary | 2020-08-17 | 2024-06-27 |
| WHINNEY, Charles Humphrey | Secretary | 2016-04-11 | 2019-05-31 |
| WONG, Joshua Yk | Secretary | 2010-03-17 | 2015-06-16 |
| ALPHA SECRETARIAL LIMITED | Corporate Nominee Secretary | 2001-12-10 | 2001-12-10 |
| BEGG, David Anthony | Director | 2001-12-10 | 2015-06-15 |
| BUCK, David Michael | Director | 2019-05-31 | 2020-08-17 |
| DIXON, Thomas | Director | 2001-12-10 | 2020-08-17 |
| HOEGSTEDT, Hans | Director | 2020-08-17 | 2023-07-24 |
| MITCHELL, Jamie Matthew | Director | 2023-06-22 | 2025-01-09 |
| MITCHELL, Jamie Matthew | Director | 2015-06-16 | 2018-09-26 |
| TROTMAN, Michael Patrick Mayo | Director | 2020-08-17 | 2024-06-27 |
| WHINNEY, Charles Humphrey Dickens | Director | 2016-04-11 | 2019-05-31 |
| ALPHA DIRECT LIMITED | Corporate Nominee Director | 2001-12-10 | 2001-12-10 |
Ownership
Persons with significant control
| Name | Kind | Nature of control | Notified | Status |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Neo Investment Partners Llp | Corporate entity | Significant influence | 2016-04-06 | Ceased 2017-06-26 |
| Neo Capital General Partner Ii L. P. | Corporate entity | Significant influence | 2016-04-06 | Active |
Filing timeline
Last 20 of 125 total filings
| Date | Type | Category | Description | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2026-02-08 | CS01 | confirmation-statement | Confirmation statement with no updates | |
| 2026-02-04 | CH01 | officers | Change person director company with change date | |
| 2025-10-10 | AA | accounts | Accounts with accounts type full | |
| 2025-02-06 | CS01 | confirmation-statement | Confirmation statement with no updates | |
| 2025-01-14 | TM01 | officers | Termination director company with name termination date | |
| 2024-12-23 | AA | accounts | Accounts with accounts type full | |
| 2024-07-12 | TM02 | officers | Termination secretary company with name termination date | |
| 2024-07-12 | TM01 | officers | Termination director company with name termination date | |
| 2024-07-12 | AP01 | officers | Appoint person director company with name date | |
| 2024-06-10 | AA | accounts | Accounts with accounts type full | |
| 2024-03-16 | DISS40 | gazette | Gazette filings brought up to date | |
| 2024-03-14 | CS01 | confirmation-statement | Confirmation statement with no updates | |
| 2024-03-12 | GAZ1 | gazette | Gazette notice compulsory | |
| 2023-10-12 | AP01 | officers | Appoint person director company with name date | |
| 2023-10-12 | TM01 | officers | Termination director company with name termination date | |
| 2023-08-14 | AA | accounts | Accounts with accounts type full | |
| 2023-06-22 | AP01 | officers | Appoint person director company with name date | |
| 2023-06-22 | MR04 | mortgage | Mortgage satisfy charge full | |
| 2023-06-22 | MR04 | mortgage | Mortgage satisfy charge full | |
| 2023-06-22 | MR04 | mortgage | Mortgage satisfy charge full |
Public-record activity
Raw counts from Companies House — last 12–24 months
- Filings
- 3
- Capital events
- 0
- Officers appointed
- 0
- Officers resigned
- 0
last 12 months
last 24 months
last 12 months
last 12 months
Direct counts from the register. No score, no rating — see the Filing timeline for the underlying events.