SME News Q4 2018

34 SME NEWS / Q4 2018 , Twenty5 Design is an interior design firm that operates throughout the Yorkshire region. In October, the firmwere awarded in SME News Magazine’s 2018Winner’s Review programme with the title of ‘Best Bespoke Kitchen and BathroomProvider inWest Yorkshire’. On the back of this well-deserved achievement, we spoke to Twenty5 Design’s Director, Mark Speight, to find out more about their unique approach to their work. Experts Who Have Thrived Through Bespoke Interior Design Those that operate within the interior design sphere have to adapt to an often- swiftly changing landscape. Modern tastes have been defined by a growing demand for an equilibrium between function and form. Today’s living spaces have to be functional, liveable encapsulations of the client’s interests, hobbies, experiences and, above all, life. As such, each design is wholly unique. Individual. Twenty5 Design specialise in utilising their considerable talents for design to those clients who want something a bit beyond the ordinary or the expected. In this, they have had to become experts in different styles; from ultra-modern elegance to rustic, earthy comfort. Mark offers a brief overview of the firm and its approach to design: “Ultimately, Twenty5 Design is a kitchen company with a difference. Our design team are quite at home with projects that use the latest materials and technologies or the total opposite – a handmade traditional kitchen that lures you into baking cakes or a Sunday roast with Yorkshire Pudding.” More importantly, Twenty5 Design have distinguished themselves through their ability to be a ‘one-stop-shop’ for their clients, offering guidance across all stages of a build or renovation. “We have always offered a complete service, regularly taking on structural works to create the perfect ‘living zone’ and cooking space – which is so popular in the modern way of life. We pride ourselves on having the right individual for the right job. This approach has proven to be incredibly popular with the busy professional clients who don’t have the time to find the relevant traders for each stage of the project.” Mark continues: “Each project we do sets different challenges with obstacles to overcome along the way. Our dedicated team will endeavour to produce the best workmanship from the design stage to completion. A good working relationship is imperative when working on any project, from the very first meeting right through to a successful outcome.” This plays intrinsically into the company’s culture and ethos, which put a dedication to work at the very centre of their services. Whatever the project, Twenty5 Design will ensure it is done to the client’s satisfaction. “The company ethos from day one has been to produce an exciting living space that ticks all of the boxes from the clients wish list at the initial briefing. After eleven years, that ethos remains at the forefront of our minds, alongside an ability to win clients over with innovative products, techniques and materials. We aim to exceed expectations, and not merely meet them.” The core challenges of interior design have always gone hand in hand with this ability to meet the client’s initial idea, no matter how formed that idea might be. At the end of the day, a client has a vision that they want to be captured and bought into reality. It’s a skill that few designers have mastered, but it is something that comes almost easily to Twenty5 Design and how they approach their projects. “The kitchen industry is a multimillion – if not billion-pound- industry with an estimated three thousand kitchen studios making up the specialist market. A good designer is expected to leave the client happy in that they got what they wanted at a price they are happy to pay. The challenge is always in creating individuality or the ‘Wow Factor’ at the right price. There’s always that danger that the client will take your hard- earned designs to the ‘multiples’ WR180020 for a cheaper quote, believing that they will still receive a bespoke kitchen that reflects the designs we created.” As the interview comes to a close, Mark moves on to discuss their success in the design industry, and how designers have to be almost chameleonic when it comes to adapting to change, or the latest trends. “The recipe for success has, in my opinion, not changed from the “Birth of the Fitted Kitchens” in the mid- seventies: a creative design team, an honest salesman, a skilful installer – and the icing on the cake – a good accountant!” “The industry moves along at an incredibly fast pace and keeping up with this is the key to future success. Designers have to embrace change, then devour the new technology that comes along, adapted to your own style and ideas, to overcome any challenges.” Contact: Mark Speight, Company Director Company: Twenty5 Design Address: 64-66 Horbury Road, Wakefield, West Yorkshire, WF2 8TU, UK Website: www.twenty5design.com Telephone: 01924 386920