The latest Ripples franchisee to open a new showroom is Roan Kelly, whose premises is perfectly situated in The Pantiles in Royal Tunbridge Wells – he gives us a tour and talks us through the displays.
Q: How long have you been in the bathroom industry?
A: I've been in the industry over 15 years, working in bathroom showrooms and various product manufacturers in the K&B industry.
Q: Why did you choose this spot in Tunbridge Wells for your new showroom?
A: I suppose it's the same old adage – location location location. Royal Tunbridge Wells is a beautiful town and The Pantiles is a charming part of town, which attracts people from across the South East. It really is a destination for high-end, independent shopping.
Q: How many displays are there?
A: We have around 13 displays showcasing traditional, modern and contemporary styles, which helps our clients envisage how their bathrooms could look.
Q: How did you decide on the styles of the displays and which products to showcase?
A: There are a lot of traditional homes in around Royal Tunbridge Wells and the surrounding areas so I wanted to show how those could be brought up to date but still be in keeping with the original aesthetic.
Q: In your view, is there anything different about this showroom compared to other bathroom showrooms?
A: Our showroom is light and airy, so you don’t feel like displays have just been squeezed in. Also, our people we are genuinely interested in your ideas and what you are trying to achieve and we strive to translate this into our designs.
Q: What is it like to be a Ripples franchisee?
A: Operating my own showroom has been very challenging, from the setup process, the day to day operations and all of the processes involved in running the showroom. However I do feel a great sense of accomplishment for what has been achieve over the last 12 months and the support of the wider franchise group has contributed greatly to this.
Q: In your view, what sets Ripples apart?
A: The service we offer our customers, from the moment they walk in, our bathroom designs and our availability during the installation process. We truly care about your bathroom and installation process.
Q: How would you design your dream bathrooms?
A: I think my dream bathroom would be a dark, moody, tropical and masculine space. It would have a double walk-in shower with a large ceiling mounted shower head and plenty of accent lighting, as well as a freestanding bath and a large dark wall to wall vanity unit. Dark tiles, tropical plants and natural textures such as pebbles would finish the space off perfectly.
Main image: Roan Kelly is pictured with Ripples Tunbridge Wells designer Matilda West.
