Inspiration, advice and experts at Wokingham’s new Inspire Design Home Show

HAVE you ever sat down in your lounge and wondered what to do to make it perfect?

Or cooked in your kitchen in despair?

And have you been overwhelmed with the prospect of doing more than just a lick of paint?

Anyone who wants to maximise the potential of their home, create the perfect living space and really make their home their own needs to make a date for a new event taking place in Wokingham later this month.

The Inspire Design Home Show will be held in the Town Hall in Wokingham town centre on Saturday, October 12 and is a day that will be packed with ideas, inspiration and advice from experts who know.

From the outdoors to the inside, from renovating to rebuilding, everything you need is on hand at the Inspire Design Home Show. And best of all, entry is free.

Inspire Design Home Show goes digital this weekend

Crowds flock to Wokingham’s first Inspire Design Home Show

It features the best local experts in the field of home design including planning, architecture, conversions, extensions, renovations, new builds, kitchens, bathrooms, landscaping, home automation and more.

The Inspire Design Home Show event offers a mixture of short talks on a range of topics, plus a series of stalls laid out market-style, so you can talk to the experts, ask questions, get inspiration and start the process of creating your dream home.

And every business is local, so you can be sure that they know what makes Wokingham’s houses tick. It’s all there, and it’s all on our doorstep.

The team organising the one-day event is Wokingham-based marketing agency Digity. It’s a bit of a change to their typical online marketing focus but came about from discussions with their clients.

Anthony Mullan Furniture had been exhibiting at events such as the Ideal Homes Show and Grand Designs Live – massive events that can be gruelling and exhausting experiences with a lot of walking in the exhibition hall, and the added pressure of travelling as well.

But, as Digity’s Chris Lunn explains, there is scope for doing something right on our doorstep.

“People here have too far to travel to get these big shows,” he says. “We said, ‘wouldn’t it be good to have the event here’.”

Chris spoke to Anthony Mullan and another client, Design Works Studios, and the first pieces for the Inspire Design Home Show fell into place.

“It’s all grown from there,” he adds. “We’ve worked with these firms for years, they’re fantastic.

“Every company that is part of the Inspire Design Home Show is a shining example of customer service, they all deliver great work.”

The aim of the day is to help Wokingham residents unlock the real potential of their home.

“Our experts can help if people need more space, or change the home around if they have a family,” Chris says.

And there will be more companies joining the line-up, with EB Design “having just agreed to come on board”.

Chris is excited about the different sessions taking place throughout the day. He’s aiming for the Inspire Design Home Show to be a fairly relaxed and informal affair, “it’s a place where you can just come and have conversations,” he says.

“This is a show for people who have extended their homes and looking for the finishing touches, it’s for people who have projects on the go, or if they’re just starting out. We’ll cover the whole cycle.

“It can be time-consuming trying to find all the right people to help with your home, to have them all under the same room, well it’s a real advantage.

“It’s a chance to see the products and meet the experts,” he promises.
Modern technology will also be pressed into service at the Inspire Design Home Show.

“The architects and kitchen designers use virtual reality you can see what your home could look like,” Chris enthuses. “And the smart home guys from Vanilla Sky will have their demonstrations on hand.

“There will be lots of inspiration – book your free place now and come on down on Saturday, October 12.”

There is an online registration form, which will save time on the day and with space in Wokingham town hall limited, priority will be given to those who have pre-booked.

For more details, the event programme or to reserve free tickets to the Inspire Design Home Show, log on to www.inspiredesignshow.co.uk

Meet the experts

Tony Mullan, Anthony Mullan Furniture

With nearly 20 years’ experience, Anthony Mullan Furniture designs and manufactures completely bespoke furniture for kitchens, ensuring that your dream kitchen completely matches your vision.

Tony’s team include dedicated project coordinators and an experienced, in-house fitting team, ensuring that creative solutions can be used to ensure that clients’ bespoke furniture can be customised right down to their colour and material.

Tony will be on hand to talk about his passion for customer service and bespoke furniture.

Pete Taylor, Design Work Studios Ltd

Design Work Studios fuses modern architectural design with creative efficiency, fostering relationships with clients forged out of trust.

Offering services that include domestic extensions, renovations, quantity surveying, build tendering and more, Design Work Studios has pioneered some of the most stunningly dynamic home designs in Berkshire.

The company also has a monthly column in The Wokingham Paper – you can read the latest instalment on page 10.

Pete will be sharing insights from his 14 years in the business. He had worked as an architectural apprentice to lead concept pitch designer, and his passion for creating stunning, ground-breaking design work has never wavered.

Kevin George, Garden Logistics

As no two gardens are ever identical, Garden Logistics aims to help families turn their patch into some of England’s finest green and pleasant lands.

The company says that it can listen and advise, all while providing a professional garden maintenance service, including decking, fencing, tree care, irrigation and lots more. Garden Logistics is committed to high-quality gardening and living and believes in making great gardens affordable to all.

Kevin has more than 20 years’ experience in the great outdoors and says he has amassed a unique knowledge and insight during that process, creating incredible gardens as a result.

Steve Dymond, Options Bath & Tile Studio

You might think that a bathroom can be a boring room. But talk to Options Bath and Tile Studio and you’ll quickly realise that nothing could be further from the truth.

The company aims to create gorgeous bathrooms – and that’s exactly what you can see when you visit their showroom. From the very beginning of the process, where the company uses 3D modelling technology to showcase what your dream bathroom, to the fitting, every aspect can be customised to the smallest detail.

Steve came into the business after successfully renovating two homes of his own. For nearly 15 years, he’s turned his passion for building into a brilliant business. He says that he is particularly passionate about ‘after-care service’, ensuring his clients can return to him if they have any future issues.

Rob Harris, VanillaSky

A smart home is certainly the hot topic of the day. Technology is improving to make our lives easier – from heating that you can control from your mobile phone to CCTV systems to protect your home, everything has come on in leaps and bounds in recent years.

But the choice can seem overwhelming. Just where do you start? This is where Rob Harris’ Vanilla Sky comes in. With technology continuously pushing boundaries and breaking new ground, Vanilla Sky brings innovative solutions to customers, priding itself on its integrity and industry knowledge.

Rob has 30 years’ experience, so he knows his diode from his electrode.

Rob enjoys learning the needs of his clients, speaking to them directly to get the best possible results, be it a new audio-visual set-up to a totally automated home. Rob doesn’t just know the future, he lives in it.

Tony Lehain, Westview Homes

Luxury housebuilder Westview Homes boasts an impressive portfolio of projects covering premier locations throughout London and the South East and they’re keen to help Wokingham borough residents find their dream home.

They offer a complete design and build service for those who want a contractor that is competent and creative. From designer bathrooms and bespoke kitchens through to whole house refurbishments, extensions and new builds.

Find out what Tony can offer and help you with when you visit the Inspire Design Home Show.

What’s on at the Inspire Design Home Show?

The event runs from 10am to 4pm at Wokingham Town Hall. Between the talks, there is an opportunity for visitors to speak to all the experts who are exhibiting, share ideas and even commission them to create a dream home.

There is a series of 20-minute talks through the day: