As we now spend more time socialising at home, our living spaces have become incredibly important to us. That’s why a new kitchen or bathroom is at the top of most homeowners’ to-do lists. And you can get top quality bathrooms and kitchens in Aberdeenshire.
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Are you taking on a renovation programme in a house you have always lived in? Or have you recently bought a ‘fixer upper’? Whatever your reasons for wanting a new kitchen or bathroom, you need quality and, ideally, a company that can do it all. That’s why homeowners across the north east (and beyond) who are looking for a one-stop-shop go to Laings in Inverurie.
The award-winning home improvement/interior specialists, who were the first company to win best bathroom and kitchen retailer at the 2022 National kbbreview Awards in its 28-year history, have been established for more than 160 years. It was all about quality. And today, its army of store staff and 30-plus fitters continue to uphold the family-business’ focus on providing a unique customer experience.
Here are some top tips from the luxury kitchen and bathroom supplier.
Choosing bathrooms or kitchens in Aberdeenshire? 6 things to consider
We asked Mark Strachan, creative director at the family-run Laings, to give us his top tips about how to design your own kitchen or bathroom.
1) Consider colour:
“People are using colour more often – green and earthy tones are really popular in kitchens at the moment – they are not as scared to be brave when it comes to colour.” In his own home, Mark has a navy-blue kitchen.
2) Visit a showroom for bathrooms and kitchens in Aberdeenshire AND do a virtual walk-through:
At Laings’ Inverurie the kitchen showroom is a real sensory experience. You can touch and feel the quality of the kitchen worktops, cupboards and splashbacks or the bathroom basins, baths and tiles. On the hour, every hour, there is a Working Water Display in store, which is worth seeing!
And the Virtual Reality Theatre allows you to step inside your dream bathroom – before it is even fitted. This is something Mark and the team are very proud of and were one of the first bathroom companies in the area to offer this service. “It allows you to decide what you want, and where, before you part with a penny,” explains the creative director.
3) Get it supplied AND fitted:
When investing in a bathroom or kitchen renovation, after a visit to the showroom, it is tempting to order the fixtures and fittings and then attempting the ‘build’ yourself or calling in a tradesman. However, at Laings, there is a team of 30-plus fitters who have been working with generations of homeowners in and around Aberdeenshire and the north-east. The team also assign you your own project manager who will keep you constantly updated throughout the installation.
4) Consider all the other add-ons:
“At Laings we are a one-stop-shop as we do everything, including flooring, tiling, lighting, worktops, appliances and all fittings. We invite customers to come into our showroom on Oldmeldrum Road in Inverurie and be inspired, then we do a complete design and installation service. It’s our turnkey service that sets Laings apart,” explained Mark.
5) Make sure there is an aftercare service:
The chances are that if you opt for a quality kitchen or bathroom, it will be perfect. However, what do you do if something does go wrong? Laings offers an aftercare service – and six-year installation workmanship warranty – on its kitchens and bathrooms so it’s no wonder the firm also won the award for Best Bathroom Retailer for Customer Service at the National BKU Awards in 2022.
6) Go to a company that is reputable:
Because investing in a new luxury kitchen and bathroom is a big expense, you want to always go for a quality and reputable supplier. If it has won industry awards, even better! You get all this at Laings. It is well-known across Inverurie as a long-established place to go for designer kitchens, bathrooms and bedrooms. Laings has been in business for 161 years and to this day is still family-run. Its bathroom surveyors Ian Charles and Terry Charles have each been with the firm for 50 years and are now find they are carrying out surveys on Laings’ bathrooms that were fitted over 20 years ago!
If you have been inspired, why not visit Laings showroom in Inverurie, where you can walk around the displays and imagine it in your own home. And for a virtual reality experience, make sure you ask for a demo in the theatre, where you can step into your new bathroom.
