Last November, East Sussex-based bespoke furniture maker and retailer Eridge Green unveiled a £200,000 extension to its existing showroom and since then enquiries have gone mad. Project and design co-ordinator Keara Hunnisett gives Tim Wallace the full story.
Q: What’s the background to the business?
A: Rob Wheeler started the business up by himself in 2012 and was making, fitting and doing the whole thing as a one-man band. He’s a cabinet maker by trade and still on the tools and very hands on. Then we grew into a new workshop and opened a small showroom and that’s where I came in. I started with the company three-and-a-half years ago as an apprentice designer. As project and design co-ordinator I take jobs from the initial meeting through to installation, then Rob takes it on from there.
Q: How many projects do you do a year?
A: We only manufacture 12-15 kitchens a year. Everything is handmade in the workshop. We don’t really touch the modern kitchen, it’s all very bespoke and traditional. There’s no set cabinetry, it’s all personalised and tailored to the customers. We offer solid oak drawer boxes and oak carcases.
Popular trends are the stained woods – stained dark islands are very in and bright colours. The only brands we work with are appliances like Gaggenau, Bora, V-Zug, and Sub-Zero & Wolf. We also supply Cosentino and Caesarstone worktops and handles from Armac Martin and Hendel & Hendel.
Q: How many staff do you have?
A: Rob and I are in the office, then we have an account manager, 3 guys in the workshop and 3 guys on site. We also work with a team of sub-contracted installers who are the same people on every job. Rob’s wife Alex is also a big part of the team and helped set up the new showroom. She helps with accounts and administration but is also very customer focused and after-sales driven, making sure projects are completed with photography and flowers.
Q: Tell us more about the new showroom
A: We launched it last November and show 8 different kitchens. It was an old Barclays bank but had been empty for years. We took it on as an abandoned building site. We ripped it out and put in new electrics, plumbing and flooring. Then we fitted full kitchen displays with islands. We’ve now got a bespoke bar, a walk-in pantry and a downstairs toilet. Stage 2 next year will be 2 bathrooms, 2 bedrooms, a staircase and a design vault, which is going to be really cool.
Q: What’s the thinking behind the expansion?
A: We wanted to create a hub – a one-stop shop where the customer can feel at home. We wanted it to be almost like they’re in their own kitchen and can chop and change things. It’s an immersive experience and a better journey for the customer. We also do cooking demos now. The bank is a big space so the kitchens have to complement each other so it doesn’t look mismatched. We chose 5 or 6 of our best styles, created a great atmosphere and made sure the colours all worked with each other.
Q: Sounds like a big step up for the business?
A: Yes, the showroom is about 6 times the size, it’s massive. The new design vault will be somewhere we can invite interior designers and architects. People like myself can work with customers down there and go through mood boards so it should be quite an exciting stage 2.
Q: All this must come with serious cost implications?
A: Yes, but we self-funded it all through savings. The whole showroom probably cost us £200,000.
Q: How long did it take to put together?
A: We started the refurb last March but didn’t start work on it properly until June/July, then it was all guns blazing. Rob basically did it with one of our other installation guys. It’s been a crazy, exciting and nervy journey.
Q: What has the reaction been?
A: Everyone is overwhelmed, it’s amazing. I walk in every day and can’t believe how lucky we are. It changes the whole perspective of life, business, work, all sorts. We were shocked that we opened it on time.
Q: How’s business in these challenging times?
A: People are are telling me it’s quiet but we’re stupidly busy. It’s challenging to get customers across the line, they’re still on edge with money and what the world is going to do. But we didn’t do the showroom to become bigger. We did it to give a better opportunity and journey for the customer. But we have noticed that everyone is now noticing us more and we’re on LinkedIn and Instagram a bit more. The enquires have gone mad.
Q: What’s your average order value?
A: About £80,000 including appliances, handles, worktops, the lot. We’ve got 3 companies – Eridge Green Bespoke Kitchens and Living Space, which is the manufacturing side; Eridge Green Retail, which is appliances, handles and worktops; and then we’ve got Eridge Green Bespoke, which is our refurb arm. There’s much more of a house element coming in now. More people want one company doing the whole project. Our business is about 50/50, projects to kitchens. But a build project for an extension is 200k in itself so the average order value varies.
Q: Is last October’s budget likely to have an impact?
A: We haven’t seen any changes yet. One of the challenges is the supply chain and getting timber deliveries on time. The boards now come from Ukraine and Poland and we’re running into some delays.
Q: How much deposit do you take?
A: We only take a 10% deposit off the kitchen cabinetry. They don’t pay anything until we manufacture or start the job. We also charge a £300 design fee plus VAT but it gets taken off if they go ahead.
