Life Kitchens’ Wimbledon showroom is in a very different setting from its sibling in Waterloo but shares the same philosophy on service…
Life Kitchens opened its second London showroom late last year in the heart of Wimbledon Village. The two London showrooms have very different characters – they are siblings, not twins. The elder of the two in Waterloo is moodier with features like the bold railway arches. The younger is homelier and in a more classic high-street setting.
Of course, the ethos of the Life Kitchens brand is evident in both showrooms: to display a wide variety of kitchen designs in a welcoming and relaxed atmosphere.
Graeme Smith, head of retail and commercial design, describes its customers: “Our customer base is diverse, so the space aims to cater for a multitude of budgets, styles and sizes of kitchens. There’s a wide range of kitchens from contemporary to classic, including the 1909 collection.
“No two customers are the same, and no two Life kitchens are the same. The showroom reflects the diversity in customers, range and flexibility of our collections to truly create something that is unique for them.”
On display in the showroom window, there are two contrasting styles. On the one side are the clean lines of a handleless display, while opposite it is a shaker style kitchen. As the customer walks in, they see so much more variety with intricate design details and a whole host of design inspiration.
The showroom is neatly split in half over the two floors. The ground floor has lots of the ranges offered by Life Kitchens, while the basement is set aside to showcase 1909 kitchens.
There are 11 displays overall, from full kitchen displays to pantries, drinks cabinets, boot rooms, utility rooms, and home-office spaces. Each display is lifestyle-driven and showcases vignettes of lifestyles that reflect the diverse customer base.
“As with all of our showroom spaces, we want them to feel both inspiring and inviting,” says Smith. “The space has a welcoming and relaxed feel when you enter on the ground floor. The natural light gives it a bright, airy tone to it.
“Naturally the basement has a slightly moodier feel to it, and the displays echo this tone as you move through the space. The original flooring has been retained and sanded and refinished to add character. There are pops of colour on both the walls and furniture to encourage experimentation with our palette of colours and finishes.”
The showroom also serves a practical purpose and has elements intended to help the designers create the ideal kitchen for their clients.
One of those areas, in particular, is the samples area at the back, away from the rest of the showroom, so customers can work with their designers in peace. Smith explains: “The orangery roof in the back area is where we house the samples area for the space along with the 4D theatre VR experience. This is a natural space for customers to gravitate towards, as it’s the fun area to mix and match samples, finishes and experiment with design ideas.”
