Masters of time and space
Time and space. Do we ever have enough of them? If you’re contemplating a house renovation with horror, expert help is on your doorstep. Alison Adams gets the builders in with local trouble-shooting team Sarah Nelson and Robert Burnett
Above: Masters of time and space
If the phrase ‘getting the builders in’ puts a spring in your step and a song in your heart, congratulations – and turn the page now. If, like most people, the idea freezes your very marrow and has you grasping for the gin, read on. No one could’ve contemplated house refurbishment with more inept horror than we. But, right on our doorsteps, we’ve found a solution that’s transformed one of life’s more stressful exercises into an exciting adventure.
Picture the scene. Nervous home renovation ‘virgins’ worried about budget, builders’ tenders and project management, disagreeing about space usage, with ambitious design ideas but clueless about sourcing fixtures and fittings. We’d got as far as a half thought-through ground floor extension and loft conversion idea, the latter stymied by Hounslow’s planning department. Where to turn to get the ball rolling again?
Luckily, for some years we’d been happy clients of the award-winning local ‘lifestyle management’ company Urban PA, launched by brother and sister team Robert Burnett and Sarah Nelson in 2001 (to rave coverage in our sister titles The Green and SW!). Providing indefatigable PAs who could handle everything from finding reliable builders to arranging a wedding, Urban PA was a godsend for busy people; they helped us with several domestic projects and we were delighted by the quality of work. But it was only when I was wailing to Sarah about our stalled renovation plans that I learned they’d subsequently launched a complete ‘design and build’ service, in partnership with Mark Holloway of Holloways of Ludlow – the long-established family firm with showrooms in Shepherd’s Bush Road and Friar’s Stile Road, Richmond – and could handle our project from start to finish. Finally, hope dawned!
As Robert explains: ‘Mark had the shop and loads of clients coming in for kitchens and bathrooms; we had the labour. He started to refer clients to us, they were happy – and the partnership grew from there.’ They’ve already achieved nomination as finalists in KBB’s Kitchen Designers of the Year 2007, competing against the UK’s best. It’s simply a winning formula: Mark Holloway’s years of experience in sourcing superb fixtures and fittings combined with Robert’s background in construction management, backed by first class design, build and project management. Everything we needed to quit quavering and start constructing!
Feeling out of control is the key stress of house renovation. Who hasn’t got a nightmare story about dodgy builders? Or the buck that never stops anywhere, but flies around between different suppliers all denying that problems are their responsibility? Holloways has solved that with blinding simplicity. ‘The key issue we identified was that of having control,’ explains Sarah. ‘So: we employ all the people doing the work, builders included. That’s very unusual, but we passionately believe that’s the right thing to do and the way to give clients the best service.’
Robert agrees. ‘It’s about getting the details right. We weren’t happy subcontracting out, so we set up our own workshop. Our designers know our workshop team will faithfully follow the working drawings, we’re in control of every last detail and the buck stops with us.’
Exceptional control is one element: an exceptional approach to design is another. Forget wrestling to visualise 2D plans (that when converted into 3D can throw up nasty surprises); Holloways, almost uniquely, works in 3D from the start. I can’t tell you the difference it makes: all our confusion over space usage evaporated as we viewed the first CAD (computer-aided design) plans for our ground floor. As Robert explains: ‘You can design the whole space to achieve, say, the kitchen you want – rather than building a side extension and then putting a kitchen into it. You can actually “walk” round, edit the floorplan, shift walls, open it up, see how the proportions, light and space work from every angle.’
And all this creativity comes within strict budgetary controls. As Sarah says: ‘Many people are afraid to talk budget, sometimes because they genuinely don’t have any idea what things cost. But by having an honest talk right at the start, we can explain what we can achieve within their budget – and often save them money. Planning properly, using CAD – it all saves time and costly errors.’ So does Holloways’ comprehensive knowledge of the most cost-effective ways to achieve the look you want. In a just of couple of meetings, we clarified our aims, got invaluable advice on best-value conversion ideas, identified economical options for fittings and nailed down a workable budget. Robert’s design team got to work on honing the ground floor plans, while Sarah and her surveyor tackled Hounslow’s planners on our behalf regarding the loft. Suddenly, the impossible seemed not only possible, but exciting rather than terrifying.
The technical wizardry is wonderful but, ultimately, renovating your home is a hugely personal experience and it’s the personal touch that makes the difference. Sarah and Robert really listen to what clients want, with a ‘can-do’ approach that inspires total confidence. As Sarah says: ‘I think we deliver a great service because we’ve got a great team and we’re all just focused on doing a great job.’
Holloways of Ludlow Head Office: 020 8487 9440. Shops: 121 Shepherd's Bush Road W6, tel: 020 7602 5757; 36 Friar's Stile Road, Richmond, tel: 020 8332 9442 www.hollowaysofludlow.com. Urban PA 020 8487 9400 www.urbanpa.com