Danmar, High Street, West Malling

West Malling is a micro town, not much more than a village, but it serves the affluent Kings Hill housing development and this was reflected in the high street with its florists, wine bars and antique jewellers. The Danmar kitchen showroom fitted in perfectly.
Excellent use had been made of a small space in what must have been a 16th century cottage, so that despite narrow doorways and a dramatically sloping floor, there were a couple of attractive displays. There were two albums full of photographs of customer kitchens and, along one wall, framed pages showing kitchens installed by Danmar that have appeared in magazines such as KBB, including a circular kitchen in an oast house. There was also an innovative display showing the progress of a kitchen project from the initial hand drawn sketch, through CAD to photographs of the real thing. Martyn said: "The first step is a site visit so that we can talk about the layout. Get the design right and the rest will fall into place."

SERVICE: 4 SHOWROOM: 4    TOTAL: 8/10
Highly polished presentation

Burnhill, Vale Rise, Tonbridge

Signs on the main road made this kitchen showroom on a trading estate on the edge of town easy to find. James said hello as I came in and then left me to wander round.
There was a good choice of kitchens ranging from solid oak to high gloss, everything was clean and well lit. I would have liked a few more props to bring the displays to life - a large island unit with granite top would certainly have benefited from a bowl of fruit or vase of flowers.
James joined me and we discussed appliances. Burnhill favoured Neff and Siemens but could get other brands if required, and we looked at various door options. Then James showed me the pack I would receive if I became a customer, it included a floor plan, CAD images and breakdown of costs.
"We itemise everything so if you need to make savings it's easily done," he said. "It may just be a case of choosing a different door or granite top."
Before I left, James handed me his card and a brochure, flicking through to point out the kitchens I had admired in the showroom.

SERVICE: 4 SHOWROOM: 3    TOTAL: 7/10
Pleasant showroom and polite service

Phoenix, High Street, West Malling

Next door to Danmar, this bathroom showroom couldn't have been more different. The acrylic roll-top bath in the window was dusty and surrounded with sacks of water softening salt. Inside there were gaps in the displays and the woodwork needed a lick of paint. Everything was haphazardly crowded together.
Once I got talking to proprietor Richard, however, my opinion of Phoenix went up. Richard was chatty, knowledgeable and enthusiastic. He explained there would be a £49 charge to measure up and plan my bathroom, but that this would be refunded.
"We're unusual in that we employ all our fitters," he said. "We don't advertise, so getting the job absolutely right for you is important as it's word of mouth that has kept us so busy for the past 27 years." Richard handed me a bundle of brochures and advised me to select items on their individual merit. "Once I know what you are looking for I can advise on the best manufacturer."

SERVICE: 4 SHOWROOM: 2    TOTAL: 6/10
Richard salvaged a bad first impression

Kensington Scott, Tannery Road, Tonbridge

Kensington Scott sells Mereway kitchens and its spacious showroom allowed for displays of the contemporary Cucine Colore range as well as the solid wood English Revival.
Andy joined me and we discussed English Revival. The display had gun metal painted base units with chalk white wall units. Andy opened drawers to show the dovetail joints, and doors to show the pantry unit. "This is all bespoke, so you can tailor the interior to suit your needs," he said. We took a seat in Andy's office where he offered me a mug of tea and we looked on screen at before-and-after photos of various projects.
Andy explained that although the Kensington Scott showroom had only opened last year, the owner has 25 years' experience installing kitchens. As I left, Andy gave me brochures and his card and suggested I make an appointment for him to measure up. "If you like, I can take you to a couple of the kitchens we are currently installing, so you can see the workmanship," he said.

SERVICE: 4 SHOWROOM: 4    TOTAL: 8/10
Professional and friendly approach to customers

Parker Kitchens, High Street, Tonbridge

Parker has a large corner plot on the High Street with plenty of large windows to entice shoppers inside. But there was little about this showroom to fire the imagination.
The displays of Symphony kitchens were OK and there were a couple of bathroom settings too, but little if any imagination had gone into the general layout of the showroom which lacked personality. In an attempt to add much-needed colour, a random selection of props were scattered about, including a lemon-shaped oven timer and a set of herb pots, without the thyme or parsley but still caked in soil.
Stephanie, seated at a desk in the middle of the room, ignored me when I came in and only spoke when I approached the desk after wandering round for several minutes. She handed me a brochure and the price list, saying: "We'll take between 40% and 50% off when we do the final quote."

SERVICE: 3 SHOWROOM: 3    TOTAL: 6/10
Nothing to write home about

Broadleaf, Shipborne Road, Tonbridge

Tucked away behind a garden centre, Broadleaf was a small showroom but worth the visit as proprietor Anthony Godwin had demonstrated what could be done in a limited space.
The room was divided straight down the middle with kitchens on one side, bathrooms on the other. The displays were compact, but excellent lighting, imaginative use of paint and wallpaper and carefully chosen props gave a pleasing result.
Anthony explained that he was a builder by trade and the Broadleaf showroom was a new venture. He suggested we make an appointment for him to visit my home and discuss my bathroom. "Sometimes it helps to have a fresh set of eyes look at the place. I might be able to suggest things you haven't even thought of yet, ways to make best use of the space you have. With our building expertise we can then do pretty much anything you want."
He handed me an A5 card detailing the service and offering a free £440 towel rail if I spent over £1,499. I commented on the showroom and he said: "I try to do things differently, but that doesn't mean they have to cost lot of money."

SERVICE: 4  SHOWROOM: 4    TOTAL: 8/10
A showroom with flair

WINNER'S PROFILE: Danmar

Martyn Ive was working as a stockbroker when his father, who manufactured kitchen carcasses in Colchester, retired. Martyn took over the business but decided to move it upmarket, creating bespoke in-frame designs.
Opening the showroom 13 years ago in West Malling was pure luck. Martyn had moved his family from London to Kings Hill and saw there was scope for a kitchen retailer on the high street. One of his first projects was to design a kitchen for the roundel in an oast house. "Our strength is that we have no boundaries," he says. "We make the kitchens fit the room not the other way round and we can work in whatever materials the customer requires. We've tried hard to make the shop look good, but we're not actually as expensive as people expect."