Kitchen & Bedroom Transformations, Epsom Road

Set in a parade of shops on one of the main roads leading out of Guildford, Kitchen & Bedroom Transformations can supply and fit a full kitchen or just replace cabinet doors.
Jon said, "we source doors from a number of suppliers so we are able to offer a great choice. We recommend Neff appliances."
A selection of vinyl, wood and painted doors hung on the walls and a cream painted kitchen with wood knob handles was in the window. "You need to have a rough budget and an idea of the style you are after then we can create something to match both," Jon said.

Score: 5/10
Friendly service but the showroom would benefit from a lick of paint and more imaginative displays

Johnson & Johnson, High Street Bramley

In the Village of Bramley this bespoke kitchen company looked the part.Housed in a period property with pretty bay windows and classic green signage.
This first impression was marred when I saw the leaf strewn carpet inside. However, I stopped to admire the cream painted kitchen in the window and was joined by Steve who told me this had been their most popular design for the last 12 years. We talked through worktop and appliance options and looked at other displays including a red gloss. Steve handed me a brochure, which included a price guide plus images of actual kitchen installations, and suggested I visit the company's website. "If you can draw it, we can make it," he said.

Score: 6/10
A clean carpet and more dynamic presentation would have improved my opinion of this showroom

County Kitchens, Tunsgate

County Kitchens is a long established retailer selling fitted kitchens and bedrooms from Welsh based Sigma 3.
This showroom benefited from a corner location with large windows on two sides providing pedestrians with a good view of the attractive displays inside. Classic roomsets of painted and wood veneer kitchens were well lit and nicely propped creating a cosy atmosphere, although there were also some contemporary displays towards the back of the showroom incorporating gloss lacquer and coloured glass.
Janet joined me to discuss my requirements. "There's a lot of choice but our designers will take you through everything. You can make as many changes as you like on the plans, take your time and you'll enjoy it."

Score: 6/10
A good selection of products and informed service

Not Just Kitchen Ideas, Cathedral Hill Industrial Estate

This is just a small showroom attached to the company's warehouse but it gave a taste of the kitchens and bathrooms on offer. 
There is a well presented choice of foil, veneer and painted kitchens with sanitaryware from Vitra, Ceramica Dolomite and Ideal Standard.
A notice advised me to knock on the office door if I needed assistance, which I duly did, and was advised to visit the main Frimley showroom to see a greater selection of displays. I was handed the company's kitchen and bathroom brochures before I left.
If I were a genuine shopper, this compact display would have inspired me to seek out the larger showroom.

Score: 5/10
Well presented, compact showroom - sorry I didn't have time to visit Frimley

Wilky Bathroom Centre, Mary Road

In a large purpose built unit on a predominantly residential road in the heart of Guildford, Wilky Bathroom Centre has the luxury of space.
This space has been put to good use with a reception area at the front of the shop where staff members acknowledge customers as they come through the door. A route then leads round the showroom taking in a varied selection of room set displays. These were all well lit and imaginatively tiled. Villeroy & Boch dominates the main showroom with a display of Hansgrohe Raindance shower heads and Acova radiators. Roca sanitaryware and a tile gallery are housed in a wing off to one side.
A further section of the showroom is rented out to an interior design business which provides spin off customers for Wilky and, due to its stock of scented candles, keeps the bathroom showroom pleasantly fragrant. I wandered round on my own then chatted with sales consultant Ana who explained Wilky can help with designing the bathroom and can recommend local fitters and tilers. "It can be daunting as there is so much choice," she said. "It's a good idea to take your time, look at the brochures and when you come back we can go through your various options."

Score: 8/10
Well presented showroom and Ana was helpful and friendly

Roundhouse, Trinity Gate

This is the first out of London showroom for Worcestershire based Roundhouse and the company has done well to employ Paul Welburn to front the shop.
He is one of the most enthusiastic salesmen I have met and he gave me one of the most thorough presentations - finding out a lot about me as he seemed to genuinely relish the challenge of creating a kitchen to suit both my home and my lifestyle. Paul wasn't pushy, quite the opposite, we had a fun relaxed chat. It was only afterwards I realised how much I had learnt about Roundhouse and how much he had learnt about me.
The window display is dominated by an island unit with the white composite stone worksurface underlit, creating a talking point and lighting up the window at dusk. The unit stands in front of a lilac gloss kitchen. Elsewhere in the showroom was a brown gloss display with orange glass worktop and splashback and a run of horizontal wood veneer base units with stainless steel top and white glass splash back. My only criticism is that the showroom lacked atmosphere and would benefit from music, a few props or something on the walls.

Score: 8/10
Excellent sales presentation - and the showroom is smart too

In-toto, Walnut Tree Close

This bright, sunny showroom is located in a pleasant business unit next to the river.
On entering, full height grey wood sliding door units set against a vibrant pink wall caught my eye. On the other side of the showroom a gloss kitchen with yellow glass splashback added to the vibrant image. The displays were all clean and well accessorised.
 Linda approached me and we chatted about the In-toto concept. "We are members of the KBSA," she said. "From the minute you pay your deposit your money is protected. And if something did happen to us another Intoto franchise would step in to complete the work."
Linda proceeded to explain that they could undertake small building work if needed and that the designers could work from plans or come out to my home. "There's no charge for us making a site visit, so you might as well take advantage of the service," she said. She talked me through various worktop options and, when I mentioned I quite fancied a pale blue kitchen, she pulled up on screen drawings of a recent powder blue design and then showed me photographs of the finished kitchen.

Score: 7/10
Linda gave me a thorough and reassuring sales pitch.

Winner's Profile

Wilky Bathroom Centre
Wilky originally sold sanitaryware based on the 'stack it high sell it cheap' principle. This gradually gave way to a more upmarket approach and Wilky is now a House of Villeroy & Boch, more in keeping with the Guildford clientele, as showroom manager Paul Gillespie explains. "The type of customers we get in here are those who are bulldozing a £4m house so as to build a £6m house. They are installing three or five bathrooms at a time."
So what makes the Wilky Bathroom Centre special? "The size and scope of the showroom," says Paul,  "but also the staff. With their product knowledge and technical ability they are able to guide customers through the pitfalls of choosing and installing a bathroom."