Shop at John Lewis for a home extension

Homeowners and those looking to buy a place of their own might be keen on browsing the shelves of the John Lewis department store for furniture and accessories.

But soon there will be more than cute cushions and sturdy couches on offer from the retailer.

The John Lewis Partnership has announced it is to branch into home improvements, helping homeowners with every aspect from design to construction.

The department store group, which also owns Waitrose, has its own booking site called Home Solutions that lets customers find trusted tradespeople. Last year it bought large-scale home improvement firm Opun, which designs and installs bathrooms and kitchens as well as creating loft conversions and extensions.

Those two areas of the business will now combine to offer a one-stop, design-and-build service for extensions.

Sean Allam, partner and director of services at John Lewis & Partners, said: "Last year's acquisition of Opun demonstrated our ambition in the home services market, and today's announcement marks a critical next step as we look to strengthen and grow our services business.

"Bringing the teams together is an exciting opportunity to work collaboratively, share knowledge and collectively learn in the fast-paced home improvement market and create opportunities for growth."

Rod Brown, co-founder of Opun, added: "Joining the John Lewis Partnership has been an exciting move for Opun, especially now we are combining with Home Solutions.

"We know the two businesses stand for the same values - putting customers first and delivering a world-class service."