NEWS


Nottingham home improvements company named amongst top three in the city


Nottingham-based firm,


Stormclad, has been named as one of the top three home improvement companies in the city by review website ThreeBestRated. The company, which has a


head office located in Basford, provides and installs windows, doors, conservatories and other home improvements products to customers across Nottinghamshire, Derbyshire and Leicestershire. ThreeBestRated is a trusted


review website which assesses and recognises the best


three


local tradespeople and companies in thousands of towns and cities across the UK.


Following a rigorous 50-point inspection


process, which looks at various elements of a


business including reviews, products, customer service, history, responsiveness and price comparison, Stormclad was awarded one of


three places in Nottingham for its


commitment to


the top providing


exceptional customer service and high quality, modern and energy efficient products with more than 13,000 successful installations across the East Midlands. Started in Nottingham more than 20 years ago, Stormclad offers a range of aluminium, timber and uPVC windows, modern and traditional


style conservatories,


bifold, patio, front and back doors, carports and verandas in a range of styles, colours and bespoke finishes that are installed by a team of expert fitters. The firm has also recently


opened its third showroom in


Nottingham, situated at the site of its head office on Basford Road. The other two showrooms are located


at Brookfields Garden


Centre in Mapperley and Notcutts Garden Centre in Wheatcroft. John


Evans, Stormclad, said:


director “We


at are


incredibly pleased to be recognised as one of the leading home improvements companies in Nottingham.


“The company was started in Nottingham more than two decades ago, and in that time, we have grown to become an established firm in the city, and the East Midlands as whole, that is known for its quality product offering and reliable customer care. “Recognition as one of the


top three home improvements companies by ThreeBestRated is a huge testament to our dedicated team, who work to provide our customers with the best possible service at every turn. “We’ve surpassed more than 13,000 successful installations across the East Midlands so far, and look forward to completing many thousands more as the business goes from strength to strength.”


Trends 2022: Interest in Mid-Century styling soars


This year has seen the popularity of Mid-Century design in the UK reach an all-time high. And according to the experts at retro design house 20th Century Cloth, it’s a trend that looks set to continue into 2022. Searches for ‘midcentury’ within the Home & Garden category


of Google Trends


peaked in 2021 as homeowners sought to revamp their homes with the cool stylings first made popular in the 50s and 60s.


Characterised by clean lines and fuss-free design where function ruled and form followed, not to mention the bold use of colour and pattern, Mid-Century is distinctive movement that has always demanded attention. Helen Snell, the founder of retro


homeware brand 20th Century Cloth, said: “Mid-Century has an enduring appeal. There is a real familiarity to the Mid-Century movement and following all the turmoil of 2020, I think this year people have been yearning to


Brits race to buy Christmas trees early amidst worries of shortages to


buy Christmas


surround themselves with furnishings that not only tick all the boxes when it comes to style but bring a level of reassurance and comfort.”


Helen, who uses traditional techniques when it comes to creating her Mid-Century inspired designs, believes it’s a trend that is going to stick around well into 2022. “There is something very simplistic about Mid-Century styling and I think people want a bit of simplicity in their lives. Our homes have become our sanctuaries, our safe places, and people want to create a home where they can truly relax and unwind.”


“Mid-Century has always been products


significantly earlier than usual, with orders up 42%* in October compared to the same period in 2020. The brand also reported that traffic to the site has had a massive 62%** year on year increase, with interest in trees and decorations at a high.


Following a huge 60% increase in sales of Christmas trees and decorations in August, new data from luxury artificial tree and decoration brand, Balsam Hill has revealed that demand is not letting up, with Brits continuing to prepare amidst worries of products arriving in time for celebrations. With the festive season quickly


approaching, Balsam Hill has found that people are continuing


6 DIY WEEK NOVEMBER 2021


Mac Harman, CEO of Balsam Hill, said: “We know it’s not just artificial trees being impacted; almost every area of Christmas is looking likely to be affected with real trees, turkey and children’s toys all reporting similar issues. With shortages affecting a variety of sectors worldwide, we may expect to see another wave of panic-buying. “Luckily we saw this


issue


coming so we’ve been able to get ourselves into the best position we possibly could to enable our customers to have the choice of


trees they would expect.


Nevertheless, those wanting to avoid disappointment should think about buying early.”


* Data compared for 1st - 28th Oct for 2020 and 2021. ** As of 19th Oct 2021


Staines & Bright’s Home Hardware (Tiptree)


has


won Home Hardware’s Cookshop Window Dressing Competition. Bruton’s Home Hardware (Nailsworth)


Staines & Brights Home Hardware wins Home Hardware’s Cookshop Window Dressing competition


received the runner’s up


prize. The competition was introduced to support the Cookshop Catalogue and to inspire retailers to create eye- catching window displays. The results speak for themselves. All Home Hardware retailers


were invited to participate in the competition and the overall standard of entry was exceptionally high. The competition was judged by an independent panel. Home Hardware would like all members who


to thank participated in the competition. AMES UK


invests in new production facility for Woodshaw


my go-to style,” said Helen. “It continually inspires me in my own designs, which beautifully bring together the styling of the 50s with the best of modern British manufacturing.”


Kelkay acquired the Woodshaw production facilities in Doncaster in late 2018, since when the brand has grown and expanded to become a key element in the AMES UK portfolio. Now, as part of a wider expansion plan for all their UK based manufacturing, AMES UK will move the Woodshaw manufacturing equipment to a new and larger facility on their Pollington site. Twenty key staff with many years of specialist knowledge and experience have received a relocation package and decided to make the move to the modern new facility which will see overall capacity significantly increased. The new manufacturing unit will be housed in a totally refurbished WWII hangar on the Pollington site. The space has become available thanks to the decision to warehouse the extensive Easy Fountain Water Feature range in Stroud in a new facility adjacent to the La Hacienda site. Jon Wilson, Manufacturing


Director said: “It’s exciting to be able to invest in bringing this amazing old building up to


modern manufacturing


standards and it’s well suited to our needs with high ceilings and great access. The space we’ve gained is really going to improve our efficiencies and flexibility which in turn will translate into better seasonal availability.” Paul North, AMES UK Managing Director added: “This is just one of the changes we are making as part of a company-wide


redevelopment


and expansion plan that will see our manufacturing base grow significantly over the next 12 months. I’m especially pleased that so many staff chose to relocate to the new site and the increased capacity means we are now embarking on a recruitment process to further expand the team.”


AMES’ investments in UK manufacturing, together with new equipment and specialist staff training, will see the output from the site more than double in capacity in 2022.


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