It’s always the details that count… whether you’re painting a masterpiece or furnishing your own home
So it’s no wonder that Detail+ adopted this slogan to characterize their East Sheen shop which sells prestige bathroom accessories and architectural hardware.
Adorning the walls are the most fantastic displays of knobs, handles, hooks, numbers, door knockers, and bathroom accessories. They cover the whole range and price spectrum, from a front door knob costing £267 to a simple cupboard knob costing just 50p.
“There’s nothing quite like us,” said owner Wendy Osborne who opened this specialized shop 14 years ago. “Customers come to us from all over London and the South-East and, as we have built a good reputation, interior designers are increasingly bringing their clients to look at our stock.”
It came as no surprise then to learn that this local business has also become a supplier to Royalty. Some of its best bathroom fittings and door furniture can be found at Windsor Castle and Kensington Palace, as well as in the homes of many of the celebrities who live in West London.
That’s quite a testament to Wendy’s belief that this kind of shop would survive and flourish in East Sheen – because people care about the details.
She used to run a kitchen showroom locally and realised there was a demand for contemporary good quality handles, knobs, and all the other well-designed things with which she has filled her shop.
She added:”The one thing you won’t find here are traditional brass fittings. My aim is to create a contemporary look.”
Her approach also encompasses a huge range of coloured glass and ceramic knobs for doors, drawers, and cupboards, which are on display and make one of the shop’s windows the most colourful and attractive in Sheen.
Glass knobs have become a big seller in recent years. They range in price from a £65 pair of glass turning door knobs to a simple cut crystal door knob costing £7.50.
Local people looking for front door furniture are also among Wendy’s best customers, “Everyone wants a smart front door and we have a good range of fittings to suit most pockets.”
Top of the range are products made by British firm Samuel Heath with whom she has developed a close partnership. Some people are quite happy to spend £600 on their front door using the firm’s quality items which include a £248 letterbox. But if your bank account won’t stretch that far Detail+ has all you need for a more modest £100.
Coloured knobs for drawers and cupboards, many made in India and China, are also very popular. “Mums love to bring their children here so the kids can choose the colours they want in their rooms,” added Wendy.
Another of the latest trends on display in the shop is coloured toilet paper in red, purple, yellow, turquoise, and black. “It’s a good talking point. People buy them for their parties,” she said.
The shop also has a very active website. “Today you cannot survive as a small independent without a website and we ship items all over the world,” she said. “We also find that many people look at our website and then come to the shop to actually see the items before making a decision.”
Again, that’s no surprise – it’s the details that count.
Detail+, 202B Upper Richmond Road West, SW14 8AN
W: www.detailplus.co.uk T: 020 8878 1592
Open: Tuesday-Saturday 10:00-17:00
Words by Mark Dowdney – Pictures by Bob Lisney – Project Coordinator Richard Osbourne