Although the exterior may be understated, this retailer lives up to its name, rolling out the red carpet and treating clients like royalty. Francesca Seden speaks to owner John Martin and business development manager, Emma Mcloughlin, about bringing it to life.
Set back from a busy B-road in a warehouse location, Regal Kitchens is a hidden gem of a showroom, attracting largely middle-income to affluent consumers from the surrounding areas. The design of the showroom was led by business owner, John Martin, in collaboration with his design team.
Regal Kitchens took over the warehouse in June 2023, and opened its doors in October. “We started with a brand-new empty, 1500 square foot cube,” business development manager, Emma Mcloughlin, explains. “We had to put in all the electrics, plumbing and internal walls, before we could even think about filling it with beautiful furniture.”
The showroom was designed to make customers feel special, welcome and at ease, with soft classical music playing and high ceilings giving an open and airy feel. “We also wanted to create an easy flow through the showroom,” Mcloughlin explains, “so that customers didn’t have to work back past displays. We wanted to keep them moving through the space.”
Where displays are concerned, Regal Kitchens has gone for a less-is-more approach – having separate zones which each showcase a few different door and handle styles. Martin explains: “We’ve found that kitchens have gotten bigger, and we wanted to reflect that with the displays. We didn’t want lots of tiny bays, like you might have in a bathroom showroom but something more reflective of what people might have at home. Within that, we’ve tried to showcase plenty of different options.”
This is evident from the moment you walk through the door and are greeted by a sophisticated navy in-frame display, contrasted with soft pink doors on some of the lower cabinets, and further back in the showroom, where dramatic forest green cabinetry, plus white and black cabinetry come together in one living kitchen display.
The showstopper, however, is the showroom’s Schüller display, which features a hidden door, leading to a secret utility room. “Customers love this!” Martin explains. “A lot of our customers haven’t seen this sort of hidden door before so it really offers the ‘wow’ factor, and people love stepping through to the utility room.”
Martin continues: “We’ve got magic corner internals, pullout worktops, pull-out ironing boards, spice racks, chopping boards – all those internal elements. We’ve really considered the ergonomics.”
“And,” adds Mcloughlin, “we’ve tried to make sure all our displays show elements of future-proofing, and incorporate elements that may help our customers in 20-years’ time, when they’re perhaps less mobile.”
Finally, moving onto the consultation area, which the team have tried to keep separate from the rest of the showroom. It features a large, widescreen TV, where designs are brought to life, plus there is a play kitchen for little ones to entertain themselves.