TURNING UP THE HEAT…
Lucas Everett shows Sarah Varley around Canterbury Fireplaces’ fantastic Blackburn showroom and talks about the exciting expansions taking place
Right on our doorstep is one of the largest fireplace showrooms in the UK, and one of the most stunning with a brand new £100k renovation on top of the refurbishments already carried out last year. Set over two floors, Canterbury Fireplaces’ showroom is now over 4,000 square feet and around 150 stoves and fires are brought to life in working displays in every style, finish and surround you could wish. The result is totally inspiring.
Director Lucas Everett has been in charge of the family business for the last two years now, and his enthusiasm is evident: “I am thrilled with the renovation,” Lucas tells me.
“The unit next door came up for sale and I took the opportunity to move all storage there so we could open up this fantastic space downstairs in the showroom. We now have such a spacious area to really show off the amazing brands we have available in beautiful settings to give customers lots of interior design inspiration too. A gorgeous fireplace is such a key feature in any home.”
“I’m really excited that the new expansion means that as well as the best British manufacturers, we can also now bring customers the best stoves and fires in Europe. We have taken on some new exclusive brands that I have been wanting for a while but that required a large display area.”
“One is a company called Contura, a really sought-after Swedish brand with tall, contemporary designs and unusual features, like being turnable, with finishes in white aluminium and naturally unique, heat-retaining soapstone. They have excellent solutions built in to maximise heat too, including automatic air control.”
“Another brilliant new brand we have is Element 4, a Dutch company producing amazing single and double sided fires up to 2.4 metres long so a great option if you’re looking for a real feature fireplace.”
“We are really proud to be recognised as a Centre of Excellence by PureVision and to be awarded Expert Retailer status by Gazco and Stovax, all British companies who are market leaders in wood-burning stoves and gas and electric fires. I’m passionate about providing the very best products but also the very best expertise, customer care and fitting, so it is fantastic to be recognised in this way.”
“Your fireplace is such an important feature of your home, and we realise it’s a big decision so we’re more than happy for customers to visit several times before making their final choice. It’s an investment that most people will be enjoying for the next 15 or 20 years so we want to help you get it just right.”
“Even though we are now such a big showroom we’ve absolutely retained the friendly atmosphere we’ve always had. We’re thrilled that word is spreading and we have customers coming over from Chorley, Bolton and Leyland – from all over the region – after recommendations from friends and family.”
“I love it that everyone has different tastes, different styles of homes and now we can showcase so many top quality brands, we have something for everyone. We’re certainly a destination worth travelling to so you can see all the styles available, talk over your preferences and try them out too, see which controls you prefer whether remote control or side buttons. We have so many different trims and finishes available so you can get the exact look you want and our team are here to help with every step of the process from design through to installation and aftercare.”
“We have a great team of high skilled, fully Gas-Safe and HETAS qualified fitters carrying out the installations and we take great aftercare very seriously too. I’m a complete perfectionist and having worked in every aspect of the business in the 12 years prior to taking over, including being a qualified gas engineer myself, certainly helps me ensure we’re providing the highest standards in everything we do.”
“I love learning and discovering new things and I always listen to my team and my customers. I’m ambitious in wanting the best brands and the best showroom because I’m passionate about this business,” Lucas concludes. “We have the huge range and the beautiful spacious showroom but retain the personal, friendly service and I’m really proud of that.”
Canterbury Fireplaces
Canterbury Street
Blackburn BB2 2HP
01254 682574
www.canterburyfireplaces.com
