From house to home
Park House Kitchens in Ockley, Surrey, not only celebrates its milestone 33rd anniversary this year, it is also one of very few independent UK kitchen retail businesses that is female led. Director Emily Rowland, outlines her plans to take the business into its next phase
Words: Rebecca Nottingham T
The goal is to get the business to that point where Park House is the go-to
destination for kitchens and cabinetry in West Sussex and Surrey
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hey say the kitchen is the heart of the home so it’s rather touching that that’s exactly where Park House Kitchens originated. Park House Kitchens was the brainchild of Trish Rowland
who in 1992, after a successful career in direct kitchen sales, set up her first kitchen showroom in a derelict barn next to her home – Park House – in Slinfold, West Sussex. “Having a kitchen showroom on the doorstep of our home was quite an
alternative set up,” admits Park House director, Emily Rowland. “Especially as Mum [Trish Rowland] could often be found showing people around our family kitchen to give them even more inspiration. “But it added to the charm and people just really seemed to relate to her.
Her focus was very much on the whole process – designing the kitchen, managing the project from start to finish and focusing on the service and the experience. I feel like she was quite a trailblazer because back then, in a market full of direct sellers, this approach was quite unusual.” Trish’s daughter Emily joined the company in 2009 after a corporate
career in financial services marketing. She worked alongside Trish – learning the intricacies of kitchen design, project management and, of course, running a business – for the next five years until 2014 when Trish retired. “Despite mum leaving the business and the move to a new location, 11
years on and we still get calls from people who bought kitchens from mum,” Emily recalls fondly. “So, this really is her legacy.” Emily now runs the business herself with the help and support of
office manager, Laura Tiller, assistant designer Katie Hay and head of installations, Sean Wibling. All of whom Emily describes as having “revolutionised the business”. “I was looking for a better work/life balance,” Emily explains. “I’d grown
up around mum’s business and, because of that, I just naturally developed a passion for interiors and kitchens.
March 2025
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