Words: Tina Riley

In an era where high street names can vanish overnight and competitors are squeezing independents’ margins, we’re intensely proud that we have achieved what few showrooms manage: nearly 60 years in business.

We firmly believe the blueprint behind our success is putting our clients first, offering a complete turnkey service, using long standing trade relationships, and knowing adaptability is our ultimate defence against market volatility.

In 1968, the KBB landscape looked radically different. That was the year our founder Danny MacCormack set up shop as an agent for the “Supa Sink” – a novel gadget that doubled as one of the UK’s very first domestic dishwashers. We then quickly grasped a fundamental reality: if a consumer invests in this, they’re going to need a cupboard to house it!

Nearly six decades later, that approach to problem-solving still anchors the business. Operating from our showroom on the Sydenham Estate, we have successfully steered through deep recessions, the 2008 financial crash, the pandemic, and consecutive supplier crises.

So, how does an independent retailer like ours maintain staying power? We don’t think it’s down to luck. It requires an agile retail strategy, a deeply ingrained family ethos, and offering a first-class service to our clients, never forgetting they are always the most important thing.

Today’s consumer values time and convenience above almost all else. The days when a homeowner wanted to get a flat-pack kitchen, source a random plumber, find a tiler, and pray an electrician arrived on schedule are firmly in the past. Our clients demand a single point of contact and absolute accountability.

We believe our longevity is directly linked to providing a comprehensive, “concept to completion” service. This promise is only as reliable as the trades doing the physical installation on-site so for five decades, we have intentionally built, nurtured, and retained an elite network of trusted local installers, plasterers, plumbers, electricians and decorators to name a few.

By keeping our trade network local and integrated, this solves the single biggest headache in home renovation: keeping things on track. 

Rather than working in isolation, our tradespeople operate as a cohesive unit. The electrician knows exactly when the plasterer is booked for, the plumber is aligned with the kitchen fitter, and we personally oversee it all.

For the client, this completely de-risks the project. There is zero finger-pointing, no split liability, and no chasing up missing contractors. If an installation query arises, the client contacts us, and we resolve it.

We also have the flexibility to adapt quickly when the supply chain falters. Faced with issues with the supply of certain appliances we pivoted swiftly, forging a tight-knit partnership with AEG, for example, to ensure appliances arrived in time for our installation schedules.

An even greater test arrived when our long-standing furniture supplier, Mereway, went into administration. Having sold the brand since their earliest days, it was a major shock to our business. Instead of panicking, we vetted the market and established a new partnership with Larks & Larks instead.

These episodes highlight an essential business truth for independents: clients rarely buy a kitchen because of the brand name stamped on a factory invoice. They buy it because they trust us to design, project-manage, and expertly install it.

As a multi-generational, family-run business, the core principles established by Dad in 1968 remain entirely unchanged. I think this approach builds profound, generational loyalty. We regularly design rooms for the children (and even grandchildren!) of clients who first had projects from us in the 1970s and 1980s.

To maintain consumer confidence, we view our membership with the KBSA as important along with the accreditation of being a Which Trusted Trader to give our clients the reassurance that they are dealing with a financially stable, heavily vetted business.

We have thrived since 1968 because we remain passionate about the KBB sector and refuse to stand still. 

As we continue to expand our interior services beyond traditional kitchens and bathrooms into wider home refurbishments, our gratitude remains firmly with our local trade partners and community that have backed us over 58 years.