Showroom Open Saturday’s 10am – 4pm. For other times please call 0800 234 6325
Categories
FOUR POSTER BEDS
SLEIGH BEDS
TESTERS / OTHER
BEDS BY INVITATION
BEDROOM FURNITURE->
BED MATTRESSES
Information
MATTRESS INFO
SPECIALS
GUEST SPOT
8 STEP FINISH
DELIVERY
CONDITIONS OF USE
FOUR POSTER HISTORY
RESOURCES / PARTNERS
About Us
Our Philosophy
At Heirloom beds we are passionate about several things key to our business and customers, they are –
- Our beds and bedroom furniture
- How we run our business to benefit the customer
- Customer service
- Our beds and bedroom furniture
For too long in the UK we have become conditioned by the marketing budgets of the major high street retailers that appearance is all that matters. And even there it seems that we have been conditioned to expect wood based furniture to have so called ‘perfect’ and mirrored grain and character (or the lack of it) where as in real life nature does not deliver this.
There is a predominance of mass manufactured furniture utilising veneers over cheaper materials such as MDF, Chipboard and quick growing low quality softwoods that eradicate natural features and charm. Check the small print of various high street retailers catalogues and you will see what we mean.
The result is furniture that has little charm or character and is very unlikely to last as long we believe that furniture should, to last a lifetime!
All our furniture and beds are made from hardwoods Mahogany and Teak, each piece is handmade and hand finished, even where handles are used which are hand forged.
We do not use any cheaper materials and that includes our painted furniture, it matters as much to us what is under the paint as much as it’s appearance. The painted items have four layer paint and lacquer process so even the paint is high quality and resistant to wear.
Every piece retains natures work in the character and grain whether that is a natural knot or from the animal life in the forest. All timber used is professionally kiln dried and taken only from renewable government controlled forests.
The result of our approach is not only longer lasting and far better value to the customer but also far more efficient use of the world’s natural resources. Cheaply made furniture made to look expensive is a false economy all round it does not last as long, costs you more in the long run and to the planets natural resources.
- How we run the business to benefit the customer.
Operating as a showroom off the typical retail high street and through the web we are able to minimise overheads to an enviable degree, and put simply we are not greedy.
‘With greed comes disappointment’
Our prices are very aggressive and value through quality second to none.
Our aim is to enable customers of a wider budget range to own an individual unique piece of bedroom furniture hand made from the raw material to finished product with unrivalled quality that ensures it will last for generations.
The raw material alone for an individual to purchase from a timber merchant costs approximately 2/3rds and more of what we ask before up to 15 weeks work, to hand carve and week long ‘8 step finish’ is taken into account. We believe we offer some of the most beautiful beds at the most competitive prices on the web and certainly beating traditional retail outlets even at there January sale prices!
How we bring our products to market is absolutely crucial, most retailers need to mark up by 300-600%, it generally is not greed simply the burden of retail costs on the high St. The list goes on including staff, higher insurance several types required, utility bills tend to be higher, business rates are much higher as are leases.
Sensibly as a retailer the better or higher value the furniture the more affluent a location required and astronomical leases follow, the retail price for our beds varies from £1100 to £4000.
In our research for the retail space required and appropriate location to display beds in Cheshire lease costs and business rates alone were well over £200,000.
These costs have to recuperated or the business fails and the customer never has the chance acquire the goods in the first place.
The internet has given new opportunity to business and there customers bringing prices down due to there more efficient nature hence our website but we have noticed several misgivings from the customer’s point of view in the way that they are operated.
The first is most having a warehouse that is either completely inaccessible, limited in its opening times, and may not have items on display to be inspected.
The second is the poor quality of the pictures provided often generic and not in situ, consequently many goods are hard to evaluate in there quality and actual appearance. Yet it seems acceptable to a lot of companies for example to ask for £600 for an item you are only given a clue about. It almost seems to us as though they are hiding something, cynical?
Possibly but from a customers point of view surely it is crucial! So why don’t all web retailers realise this point of view?? The customers!
Our intention from the start is to challenge these obstacles to value and the informed customer; we have done this in the following way.
Heirloom Beds as mentioned has non traditional retail methods and is established in a refurbished 2000sq’ room in the historical Goyt Mill where costs are approximately 30 times less than traditional retail whilst retaining ample opportunity to view all items in full at any time. Even our stock storage is based in secure insulated and ventilated steel containers in pursuit of absolute minimum cost. Consequently we have no financial burden to pass on to the customer through retail margins and even that of our web competitors.
- Service
We offer a no quibble 7 day money back guarantee with the exception only to the nature of the characteristics of hand made natural timber furniture which should be part of the reason for your purchase in the first place.
All deliveries we aim to complete within 10 working days from cleared payment and often achieve sooner. Each piece is single carton wrapped with additional blanket wraps and strapped securely in a carpeted van avoiding any damage from movement or vibration. Once pieces are placed on the van for delivery they are not off loaded until they reach your door. We are always here on the phone and by mail as well as at our showroom. If you want to secure your furniture for a forthcoming house move or completion of decorating etc this is no problem this happens on a very regular basis.
Co Reg – 5688324 | Thursday, 08 February 2007 05:22 am | VAT No – 876358475 |