Catching Lives Sleep Out!

Congrats William! 

Just this weekend gone, our designer William slept out in Canterbury to help support the local charity Catching Lives and Porchlight. By sleeping rough, and through building his shelter, William helped raise over £700 so far, which you can donate to here. It is a wonderful cause, which helps to support and raise awareness of the plight of homelessness, which affects so many in our local community.

William managed to survive the rain and cold, despite his shelter collapsing, but the important thing is that this was only a fraction of what homelessness puts people through daily. Please, donate if you can, as it is a very serious issue, and Catching Lives and Porchlight are both wonderful charities, and any amount will surely help.

Herringbone Kitchens is fundraising to support local homelessness charities Catching Lives and Porchlight. Come rain or shine (most probably rain), today on the 17th September, our Designer William will be 'sleeping rough' on the grounds of Canterbury Cathedral with other Canterbury business owners to raise money and awareness about homelessness. You can sponser William and read more about his story by going to Just Giving and searching for William Durrant If you want to come say hello and show William your support, the grounds are open from 5PM- 9PM. There will be prizes for sturdiest and best looking shelter, as well as speeches and events to raise awareness about homelessness. Thank you again to everyone for your support, so far we have raised almost £400! #Canterbury #homelessness #charity #fundraising #kentlife #kent

So my shelter was not the best and collapsed in the night. It got what they all fear in the Great British Bake Off "it got a soggy bottom" Thank you to everyone who supported us! #herringbonekitchens #canterbury #cathedral @catchinglives @porchlightcharity #endinghomelessness

King's Mile Street Party - September 10th

This coming Saturday, September the 10th, the King's Mile is hosting a street party, with all the shops, stores and restaurants participating. We are happy to say we will be attending, and hosting a "spot the difference" competition, with prizes for young and old, as well as getting out the popcorn machine again! We hope to see you there, as it will be a wonderful day out for the entire family!

Meet the Team: Elly Simmons

After a brief delay, we return to our introductions series, this time talking to Elly Simmons, William's wife and head of Herringbone Marketing!

Hi! Give us a quick introduction; who are you?

Hello! I'm Elly Simmons, and I manage marketing and PR for Herringbone!

Tell us about your career!

Well, I am currently studying for my PhD at UCL, and work commissioning Maternity Services for the NHS. Whilst doing this, I have helped William by managing the social media and marketing aspects of Herringbone - I am much handier around an Instagram account than he is!

What is it you do at Herringbone?

I help the social aspects, designing the posters and adverts, posting on Instagram and Facebook - pretty much, if it goes on the Internet, I've had a hand in it! And while I may not design the actual kitchens, I've certainly picked the colours and designs for our own!

What project are you most proud of in your time with Herringbone?

Well, I'd be remiss to not mention our home, which we had to gut out and completely redo! It certainly was a challenge!

Why should people go with Herringbone?

Recently completed kitchen in Canterbury. #herringbonekitchens #canterbury #kitchen #brass #design #quartz #style #kentlife #interiordesign #interiors @cosentinona @busterandpunch

William is a fantastic designer, and knows exactly how to involve you in every aspect of the design. Not only that, but we know first hand exactly how good our process is, having just completed it, and this knowledge and skill is unrivalled - we couldn't be happier with our new space! 

What about you would people be surprised by?

You may not be able to tell from this, but I'm not a native Kent-ian - I'm actually from Michigan! (Although, I'm sure this won't surprise you if we met because of the accent!). Go Blue!

Meet the Herringbone Team: Our Fitter, Leroy!

This week we speak to one of our kitchen fitter's, Leroy!

Hi! Give us a quick introduction; who are you?

Hello, I'm Leroy, and I work with Will fitting the kitchens across many of our projects.

Tell us about your career!

I've worked in kitchens and fitting for 30 years, and bring a lot of experience to the table. I orginally trained as a engineer but found that I enjoyed actually making things, more than designing them. I've lived in Whitstable for 20 years and love being so near the sea. My wife is an artist and we enjoy the calmer life that Whitstable offers. I also love fitting kitchensaround Kent because you find a lot of peculiar old houses with odd structures - it's a lot of fun, and often challenging, but that just means more experience to help with future work.

What is it you do at Herringbone?

I work with others to fit the kitchen. This can include plastering, plumbing and any other work that needs to be done in the space, as well as ripping out your old kitchen. I am a perfectionist by nature so I will not complete a job until I am happy with every aspect of it.

What project are you most proud of in your time with Herringbone?

Every project is special in it's own way, so it's nearly impossible to call out a single project. If anything, my favourite will just be the most recent, as it's the freshest in the memory!

Why should people go with Herringbone?

I bring a lot of experience having fit kitchens for over 30 years. William is a fantastic designer and very practical in that he envisions the kitchen from the fitters point of view, as well as the designers. I really enjoy working with William and think he brings something new and refreshing to the area in his design and attention to detail.

What about you would people be surprised by?

My sons play music around the Whistable area, and I have helped their creativity by building a sound system and area in my house! (It's not only kitchen fitting I work in, but I created what is practically a recording sutdio in my garage!)

Meet the Herringbone Team: James Colvin

Continuing our series of introducing the members of the Herringbone family, we have our favourite shop assistant, James Colvin, up next!

Hi! Give us a quick introduction; who are you?

Hi, I'm James! I study History at the University of Kent, and work in the shop a couple of times a week - chances are, if you pop in, it'll be my friendly face saying hello!

Tell us about your career!

I've been with Herringbone for about a year, part time during my studies at the university. I've really enjoyed my time - I'm fairly certain 'kitchen salesman' might top the list of odd student jobs! Otherwise, I work at a bar in Canterbury - anything to keep me from actual studying!

What is it you do at Herringbone?

I look after the shop a couple of times a week so Will has a little more time with Fred - if you pop in, I'll be writing a blog, tidying the shop, or talking to customers. I may well be your first point of contact in you getting your new kitchen!

What about design drives you?

While I don't work on the kitchens themselves, I love that I get to look at the photos and testimonies from customers, who all love their new space. Writing the blog week to week is great, as I still get to appreciate all the lovely new kitchens!

What project are you most proud of in your time with Herringbone?

The most rewarding part is definitely helping talk to a customer on their first visit, recommending certain units or styles, and then seeing them later, after completition, and seeing how ecstatic they are with their new kitchen!

Why should people go with Herringbone?

No other place offers the same level of commitment to customers - we like to make sure every decision in your kitchen is made with you, which ensures the new kitchen is totally your own.

What about you would people be surprised by?

I sing in 2 choirs at the university, have sung for 5 years, and played piano for 10 - athough, you might not be too surprised if you've ever walked into the shop, as I am quite often found singing along to music (most probably Toto's Africa!)