The managing director of Searle & Taylor … explains what drives him professionally and what keeps his passion for kitchens alive even after 32 years, while revealing a surprising talent…
The thing people might not know about me is…
I’m a drummer in a band that plays soul, disco and reggae. We play at weddings, private parties, pubs and clubs. I love releasing pent-up kitchen frustrations by beating my beloved Gretsch USA custom drum kit, beautifully finished in Birdseye Maple. It’s one of my favourite veneers!
When people outside the industry ask what I do I say…
I choose my words wisely, dependent on who I’m with. Usually, I say that “I work in kitchens” and leave it at that. If I sense a level of boredom, I follow up with “because everyone needs a kitchen, and it was either that or being a rockstar!”
If I was in charge of this industry I would…
Implement a certified training qualification before you can start a kitchen design and sales business. I can’t just become a dentist by renting a shop, buying a reclining chair and drilling teeth! Meanwhile, with no knowledge of this sector, anyone can just open a kitchen showroom.
What I love most about my job is…
The uncertainty of what any day will bring. I still feel a tingle of excitement when we have a visitor. Occasionally it’s a client wanting a stunning money-is-no-object kitchen. Most of the time it’s either the postman, or someone asking if we sell potato peelers…
The work story I always tell to make people laugh is…
Back when TVs were great big boxes, I once built a TV cabinet as a favour for a mate to accommodate his bulky new telly. The dimensions he gave me were slightly wrong and the cabinet for my friend’s massive Fergison TV was too small. So, instead of re-making the cabinet, I chopped the bottom of the telly off and slid it in. No one ever knew. The telly worked perfectly and my mate was delighted.
The industry person I most admire is…
Tom Howley. He has cleverly built a superb and persuasive brand that appeals to people looking for a traditional painted kitchen. Tom says that clients worry about making the wrong choices, so he has a ‘kitchen menu’ of pre-designed set pieces with worktops, handles and colours that work together. I really admire his business model.
I wish this industry would talk more about…
The fundamentals of being a KBB business. We really don’t talk enough about how to monetise designs to make a profit. I see many odd-looking kitchens, created for the sake of great design. Always ensure your designs will make you money. Otherwise, they are never great designs.
I wish this industry would talk less about…
The B to Z list celebrities that drop into our industry from time to time to promote a product or kitchen range with no understanding of how it works. We shouldn’t encourage crappy endorsement.
My biggest professional inspiration is…
The work of Mark Wilkinson and Charlie Smallbone. The Cook’s kitchen by Mark Wilkinson began a revolution in Shaker design by softening the corners with curved pilasters. Genius.
My proudest professional achievement is….
Staying in business for 32 years, having started it as a naïve 18-year-old. The headline of my first interview was ‘Darren’s Optimism is Making it Work’ with a picture of me with a ponytail sanding a cabinet. It’s on display in the longest-established kitchen independent in Winchester – and I own the showroom, and the building.
The song I always sing in the shower is…
I can’t sing, but when I listen to music in the shower I tap the taps, and drum the tiles, instead.
As a drummer, I constantly air drum any surface from the steering wheel with my fingers, to using cutlery, pens, rulers and chop sticks. It drives everyone mad!