Warminster, Wiltshire Bespoke Shelving Professionals

“David and Charlotte designed us the best bespoke 50s inspired kitchen ever. We love it. Everyone who visits comments on the high standard of craftsmanship, which David provided, and the brilliant design of Charlotte. We discussed all our needs prior to the design, and found Charlotte advice very helpful on where to put everything! Charlotte designed our red and grey 50s inspired kitchen to match flooring I had found 6 months before. The colours all match beautifully, and I'm really happy I got the flooring I dried of too! This is our first house, and first design by workshop interiors, but we are already planning on using them again for everything from now on. They work as a team, very professional, to a high standard which they set themselves. What more can I say.”

“I found Stephen and his team to be of the highest standard professionally with outstanding craftmanship and expertise. The kitchen is trully bespoke, I asked Stephen to copy a French style hood over the cooker from a magazine picture, including stainless steel rivets and it was faithfully reproduced in every detail. Although the kitchen was built for a house in Cornwall, the minor issues that arose after installation were sorted out very quickly and the kitchen was built and installed on schedule. I also designed a basin stand for the house which was also built by Stephen, again beautifully put together and finished. I would not hesitate to recommend Stephen Graver kitchens as the best you will find.”

“We were really impressed by Sustainable Kitchens from the start; our demands were quite particular to start with and got even more picky as time went on, and yet their answer was almost always an unfaltering "Yes!". Other high-end companies we approached quoted a higher price for something that was not bespoke and was therefore much clunkier in design. Sustainable Kitchens took care of everything, understood our every need and had a great perfectionist's eye for detail, for example in the scribing around the stones in our walls. It took under three weeks to go from our old kitchen to a fully functioning new one. Everything about the kitchen feels and looks beautiful and I am finding myself recommending them to anyone who will listen.”

“I have asked the Woodhouse and Law team to help me with several design projects for both the interior of my home and my garden over recent years. It has been an absolute pleasure to work with such a friendly, creative and professional team who commit the same level of care and attention to detail for each project, regardless of budget size. Even some of the smallest details and suggestions from W&L have transformed my home in ways I could not have imagined myself and I view the W&L team as trusted partners in making my home somewhere I truly love to live. Their help and advice has been invaluable to me and I recommend their services without hesitation.”

“Really friendly team of talented craftsmen working with wood in the Bath area, a young dynamic team with a bright future. Bespoke kitchens, furniture and joinery - we have worked with Bath Bespoke and recommend them.”

“I’ve worked with Mel on several projects now, and she is always a fantastic help. Due to her interior design background, she thinks of all the practical details that one might usually miss, whilst retaining the integrity of the rest of the house in all of the design aspects. Extremely creative, she has a great vision that will make any room stand out, yet still keep with the overall vibe of the house.”

“I am delighted with Shaker & May who seem to get better and better. They supplied my kitchens for a refurbishment project in Somerset and the outcome was pure satisfaction, on my part. Attention to detail, willingness to adapt and alter and the standard of the finished product exemplary. Please accept my thanks and appreciation. First class. JB”

“For some years, we had planned to extend our 3 bedroom, end-of-terrace property and already had plans drawn up and approved. However, with the passage of time, we wanted to be sure that these plans continued to suit our purposes. We invited Nick to review the proposals and he made a number of very useful observations. Importantly, he helped us to see that we could reconfigure the space and change our way of living to enjoy an improved view of the garden and across the valley in a light-filled, open-plan kitchen-diner with separate seating area. He also identified some simple changes to the layout to maximise functionality of the various new spaces, creating a separate utility room that we had always wanted, and an area for our pets. He also spotted a design simplification that would facilitate installation of a new kitchen. The proposed renovation would affect many of the spaces in the house, so Nick produced several 3D models of the whole property to help us to envisage optional layouts. His advice, supported by the different models and estimated costs, also identified elements that were not worth pursuing, releasing funds for other aspects that were more important to us. With the basic layout agreed, Nick worked with the architect, structural engineer, and Council planning officers to ensure that the agreed re-design would be approved. In parallel, he produced a very detailed specification with electrical and lighting layout and schematic for the TV, music and IT installation; this, together with architect’s drawings, formed the tender package against which 3 contractors bid a fixed price. We came to realise that this detailed document with specific references was critical to containing the price within defined limits; through the specification, the contractor was given very clear instructions on specific building works, plumbing and heating, joinery, lighting, flooring and other aspects of the project. Nick ran a competitive tender working closely with us and the 3 bidders. Together, we then selected the winning contractor and work started. In essence, whilst we lived with the building work, Nick was on site almost every day to keep an eye on developments and make decisions where required. Largely, we sat back and made cups of tea for the builders. If we spotted anything of concern, we generally raised this with Nick in the first instance and he would either explain the issue to us or, if some action was required, would address it with the contractor. Having established the principal price for the works, Nick was also keen to show us the total cost of the project including carpets, window dressings, audio equipment etc. He had also designed a number of bespoke storage units some of which were eventually fabricated and fitted. Early in the planning process we met to review decorative schemes with samples to show how each room would look and feel, along with the associated prices. He maintained a detailed spreadsheet, so that we could budget for furnishings over a timescale that suited us. The spreadsheet included a risk budget for identified risks, to help us understand the level of caution required as the project progressed. The value of the main contractor’s work was £120k + VAT (including kitchen) and the total project budgeted price was £150k + VAT (including furnishings etc). Nick oversaw the contractor’s implementation of the design. He also managed any interfaces between the contractor and other suppliers, and organised purchase of additional items such as the kitchen, carpets, blinds, and audio kit. He took us to view kitchens and appliances so that we could confirm our requirement. He then negotiated a good price for us which saved several £ks. This was another feature of working with Nick; not only did he negotiate good prices on our behalf, he also passed on elements of his trade discounts to us, and identified cost effective solutions which more than paid for his fees. We were particularly fascinated by Nick’s attention to detail and came to realise and appreciate its importance. For example, his insistence on the apparently small detail of aligning the floor level at the threshold to the French doors was simple to implement, but the contractors would have proceeded to fit a step over the threshold (because it was easy and what they always do) without Nick insisting otherwise. We now have no such trip-hazards. As the project proceeded, Nick spent more time with us and our teenagers, confirming styles and tastes, bringing samples and putting together schemes, before sourcing carpets and other fixtures and fittings. He introduced us to a number of new ideas: all of our friends marvel at our purple glass splashback and resin-worktop; the walk-in rain shower is fabulous; the music distribution system is fantastic, the wide floorboards are a real feature, and the look of our spacious, contemporary kitchen-diner is very special. He also future-proofed the property with an ethernet network in all key areas of the home. To manage cash-flow, the project was split into 2 phases. In planning for this, Nick ensured that all foundations, cabling, and pipes for phase 2 were installed during phase 1, negating the need for re-work or additional work later. In fact, during the 6 month break between phases, the contractor failed to record works already completed and paid for, and were preparing to escalate the ongoing price significantly (by approximately £8k, or 30% of the price remaining). However, Nick’s dogged determination and scrupulous record-keeping allowed us to maintain the project largely within the original price (allowing only for a legitimate inflationary increase in materials and labour). Throughout the project, we had every confidence that Nick would address any issue with the work. He produced a detailed snagging list at the end of each phase and ensured that all items were closed before the project was signed off. We are delighted with our “new” home and, having lived with it now for over a year, we find it practical as well as stylish, with plenty of functionality, space and light. Nick is a pleasure to work with. He offers fresh ideas and has opened our eyes to opportunities that we would otherwise have missed. Equally, he accepts respectfully that a client may not always be able to follow a particular recommendation. He is extraordinarily diligent and reliable and his involvement saved us money overall (to the tune of many £ks). We will certainly continue to use his services for future developments of our home and it gives us great pleasure to recommend him to others.”

“Jim Sharples fitted my kitchen and did all the carpentry needed around my cottage. It was built in the 1820s and I wanted to keep it as original as possible. Jim understands modern requirements and how to use space to its best advantage - and he also loves and understands old buildings so he knew what I meant and worked from my ideas. Jim did everything from boxing in the strange ancient pipe work in the bathroom, raising up the roll top bath onto a piece of lovely old wood, making a window seat from reclaimed floor boards, making and hanging shutters in the windows and restored the old doors. I highly recommend Jim, he is a very talented craftsman and a pleasure to work with. Samaya”

“I had moved into my new home, and the interior decor was neutral - but bland. I was, frankly, at a loss as to how to begin to make it work for me. Kay visited, listened to how I need my home to function, talked me through the possibilities and created several mood boards to enable me to visualise how it could look. She even sent me links to the products I needed, taking the angst out of shopping for the right items. My lovely new home now feels like my space - thanks so much, Kay, for working your magic and taking the fear out of introducing pattern, colour and texture.”