Month: August 2024

Earlier today I was cleaning up after installing a new gate for a customer.

He came out to thank me as I brushed up the sawdust from his driveway. He asked me the same question nearly every customer asks; “Do you only do gates!?”

When customers get a reliable craftsperson into their homes they are reluctant to let them leave.

It’s hard to find a good tradesperson.

I get it.

There would have been a time when I would have been keen to pitch the idea of building a beautiful feature wall in the living room, or even better, craft a new dining table.

I love a project where I can really show off my skills.

But I’ve come to my senses.

It’s five years since I niched down to only making and installing gates.

It got to the point where I was so busy with gates, that it didn’t make sense for me to do anything else.

It’s hardly dream-job stuff.

Making and installing three or four gates a day is monotonous—to say the least.

Boring as f#*k is how I usually describe it.

But here’s the thing, it is a thriving and lucrative woodworking business.

There are certain things you will be good and fast at.

If you want to make money in a labour intensive industry like woodworking, you need to be both.

For some it’s kitchens. For others it’s tables.

For me it’s gates.

I still love showing off my skills and building beautiful things.

But instead of losing money on a feature wall project that I’m just not quite quick enough to complete, I build a feature wall in my own home.

Building and installing gates gives me the time and money to do this.

It’s the best of both worlds.

Last week I finished building my home gym. I’m thrilled with it. I immediately thought, I wonder if I could make money building home gyms.

I had to snap out of it quickly.

Some people will be so talented that they can do anything at high speed and still churn out top quality stuff.

They’re the top 1%.

Like the top 1% of football players who make it to the Premier League.

Don’t be fooled by every amazing project you see on instagram. How long did it take? Was it for fun or for profit? Was profit made?

Mostly we’ve no idea.

If you’re woodworking for a living, do the stuff that gives you a living.

Save the passion projects for the weekend.

This post appeared first on https://www.sawdustetc.com

Inspired by natural features and rustic beauty, Kaylie couldn’t wait to turn her new-build property into her dream home. After comparing a lot of samples, our gorgeous Primrose Herringbone Laminate caught her eye, and her vision became a reality! 

Why did you choose Luxury Flooring?

I chose Luxury Flooring after getting hundreds of samples from hundreds of online stores and all my top 3 choices were from Luxury Flooring; the quality of the flooring for the price was unmatchable.

What was most important to you when designing your room?

The most important thing to me when designing my room was for it not to feel like a typical new-build property. I wanted to have natural-looking features to mix the feel of modern and rustic, and this flooring was the perfect pairing for this design.

What does your home situation look like?

I bought my first home on my own at the end of last year. I’m 35 and single so I live alone but I have a little dog called Foster who visits as he lives with my parents.

How do you prepare your home before hosting?

Before anyone visits, I like to ensure my home is clean and tidy but also welcoming. I usually use it as an excuse to light a new candle as there’s nothing nicer than the smell of a new candle to welcome guests in.

Which rooms do you use for hosting?

The living room is my main hosting room when family and friends come over, and it opens up onto the garden so it’s a nice easy room to use. I’m currently doing my garden up ready for hosting in the summer months.

What qualities were you looking for in your new flooring?

Qualities I wanted from my flooring were easy maintenance, a rustic natural feel and a feature to the room.

Have you ever had a ‘panic moment’ with your floor while entertaining? If so, how did you handle it?

I have in the past spilt tea all over my floor, it was carpeted at the time and the stain never went away. I’m quite clumsy, so it’s likely I’ll have another panic moment in the future for sure, so laminate flooring will hopefully help.

What advice would you give to someone looking to transform their floor?

My advice for anyone looking to transform a room is don’t rush into anything, especially if it’s something that will remain in that room for years to come. I always spend weeks comparing samples before making any final decisions, and so far, it’s worked as I love everything I’ve done to my home.

How has your new floor improved your home?

My floor has changed my home massively and it’s something everyone comments on when coming over. It flows from the front door all the way through into the living room and it is honestly such a lovely feature floor.

  

The post Customer Homes – @my_little_home_cheshire appeared first on Blog & Advice Centre – Luxury Flooring & Furnishings.

This post appeared first on https://www.luxuryflooringandfurnishings.co.uk

Sharon and Rich love nothing more than hosting family and friends and wanted a durable herringbone wood floor for their new kitchen diner. They compared sample after sample until they found a floor that ticked all their boxes – our Painswick Olive Engineered Oak. 

Why did you choose Luxury Flooring?

I’m not kidding when I say we looked at tonnes of flooring. Tonnes and tonnes! Luxury Flooring offered free samples which enabled us to get a really good feel for not only the colour, but texture and quality. The price was fantastic for such  a huge space and more importantly, it was available straight away because we are a bit last minute here!

What was most important to you when designing your room?

It was so important to us that the flooring not only looked good but was practical as well. It’s a high-traffic area and being the kitchen/diner it needs to hold up to the occasional spillage. We are quite relaxed and love to host, so it definitely didn’t want to be anything that wasn’t going to stand up to a good party!

What does your home situation look like?

Although there are only two of us here, it’s a full-house policy with regular gatherings with family and friends. 100% shoes-on kind of rules! I can’t bear to be precious over anything which is why the flooring works so well for us. It’s low maintenance with high visual impact. Can’t ask for more from a floor.

How do you prepare your home before hosting?

I love an excuse to go all out on flowers and candles. Nothing stiff and rigid, cosy and chilled is more our scene. Rich is an exceptional cook, so he’ll knock something up, no one ever goes hungry here and I’m pretty certain our drinks cabinet could cater for most thirsts.

Which rooms do you use for hosting?

When we host it is 100% of the time centred around food which is why we chose to take a wall down to create a kitchen diner. We managed to find a bargain 10-seater table and nothing gives me more joy than when it’s full and the sound of laughter, music and the chinking of glasses fills the room.

What qualities were you looking for in your new flooring?

It was absolutely necessary that the flooring could withstand being in a kitchen. You could argue that there are more practical options, such as tiles, but we really wanted to unite the space as a whole. Tiles just didn’t appeal to us as we weren’t able to have underfloor heating. As Rich was laying the flooring himself, it needed to be fairly straightforward, he did an amazing job.

Have you ever had a ‘panic moment’ with your floor while entertaining? If so, how did you handle it?

We had a ‘panic’ moment when we fitted the kitchen, for sure. We dragged the fridge-freezer across the room thinking we had protectors on the bottom of it. They came off mid-way and the floor was scratched. Luckily, we managed to lightly hand sand it out. I’m the world’s clumsiest person so I’m pretty certain it’s got a tough life ahead!

What advice would you give to someone looking to transform their floor?

Really drill down into how you will use the space. In my opinion, a home is to be lived in, so don’t buy something you’re too frightened to move on. Luckily, there are so many good options for practical and pretty flooring.

Once you’ve narrowed down your search, consider asking for a few sample boards of the same flooring so you can lay it out. This really helped us make our final decision, and sometimes there are variations in pattern, colour etc.

Consider the furniture you are putting on it. For example, use protective pads on chairs to avoid scratching and consider whether your furniture will clash. We have a lot of wooden furniture, so it was important to find flooring that was harmonious with our existing furniture.

How has your new floor improved your home?

The flooring was a huge transformation! It helped connect the space together whilst retaining a rustic feel. It also feels so much warmer! The tones of the wood help. We love it so much we plan to run the same floor in our hallway to really create a flow.

  

The post Customer Homes – @renovating_cartrefle appeared first on Blog & Advice Centre – Luxury Flooring & Furnishings.

This post appeared first on https://www.luxuryflooringandfurnishings.co.uk