July 2022: UK-based independent kitchen brand, Smile Kitchens, offers consumers an alternative way to discover, design and specify their dream kitchen from the comfort of their own home. The company, founded by a team of experienced KBB experts, initially launched in early 2020 and already has hundreds of happy customers and a Trust pilot Excellent Rating.

“The way we consume is changing; we now want to shop from the comfort of our homes, as it's often more productive and time saving,” says Dawn Filkins, Head of Creative at Smile Kitchens. “Smile Kitchens was born out of a desire to provide an exciting and attentive end-to-end kitchen design and supply service that is entirely digital and tailored to individual customers. Our point of difference is that we will design a beautiful kitchen, presented to you in an immersive 3D way, helping you fully visualize your new kitchen. Plus, we support customers through their entire project and during installation – and it won't cost a penny until the kitchen has been safely delivered. Our design team has over 79 years of experience creating beautiful kitchens and interiors. We're trained to bring to life the personality of our customers through clever design and our expert knowledge. Our goal is to not only give consumers a kitchen they love but to make them feel part of the design journey too.”

With a core collection of eight beautiful kitchens available in 23 colours and finishes, Smile Kitchens is focused on high-quality materials that will provide a canvas of possibilities for individual interior design elements. The kitchen furniture is designed and sourced in the UK, which means lead times can be as short as three weeks. Components such as sinks, worktops, taps, handles and storage solutions are sourced from leading brands such as Quooker and Carron Phoenix. Clever partnerships with fellow innovative British digital-first names such as Made.com and AO.com, allow Smile Kitchens to bring in inspiration from external sources to provide a fully cohesive design service.

An entirely online approach means that Smile Kitchens offers great design and stunning kitchens at a competitive price; their no commission policy also means that their designers have the freedom to create beautiful kitchens that wow customers.

How does it work?
“The Smile Kitchen design process is always tailored to each and every customer,” explains Dawn; “However, there are a few steps almost all our customers are likely to go through.”

1. Initial Contact: Customers can get in touch via the Smile Kitchens website and a member of the team will call them back – or they can call directly. At this stage, customers can share information relating to their current kitchen such as images, floor plans or even planning permission. This is not essential though as Smile designers are happy to start from any stage in the process.

2. A Quick Call: Once Smile Kitchens have the customer's information, they will receive an initial call to confirm the information on file and to gauge where the customer is in their process. If the customer is ready to move ahead, Smile will set up a longer video call to get a full brief from the customer and get to know their needs on a deeper level.

3. Discovery Call: An experienced interior designer will then set up a video call to get to know their customer and discuss their dream kitchen in more detail. Each designer seeks to understand their customers' needs on a personal level, meaning that customers end up with the ultimate tailored design. To make sure that customers are completely confident in their choices, Smile Kitchens offers free samples to customers so that they can bring the showroom experience to their own living room.

4. Design Presentation: Following the Discovery Call, the designer will get to work and provide stunning high-resolution CAD drawings that bring the customer's dream kitchen to life – with some additional inspiration added. By creating each customer a VR version of their kitchen design, Smile Kitchens really brings the customer's kitchen design to life. In the future, the company wants to send customers a headset to view their design in a fully animated walkthrough for a truly immersive experience.

5. Amendments made: Smile Kitchens knows that the design process is a joint effort and expects feedback from the customer – so they are encouraged not to hold back! They want their customers to fall in love with every aspect of their new kitchen and are happy to accommodate changes to ensure this. At this stage, customisation details such as handle choices, sink styles and furnishings will also be confirmed to ensure that every detail is the right fit. Once these are made, the designer will confirm the final cost again via a fully itemised quote - with no hidden extras.

6. Checking Measurements: After the design has been finalised and the customer has confirmed they'd like to go ahead with their new Smile kitchen, a 'Check Measure Pack' is sent out. This gives the customer and their fitter all the information they need to confirm that the original measurements are correct, and that the new kitchen will fit into their room. If this is not the case the designer will simply amend the design.

7. Ordering: At this stage, the kitchen will be ordered, and lead times are confirmed to suit each individual project: from three weeks to eight weeks, or longer if a customer wishes. Customers will also receive a shopping list and exclusive discounts for items to furnish their kitchen, chosen during the design process from brand partners. Smile Kitchens can also provide impartial advice on how to choose a fitter if needed.

8. Fitting: Alongside the kitchen delivery, customers also receive a full 'Fitter's Pack' from the designer to ensure that the fitter has all the relevant information. This includes full instructions on how to fit the kitchen.

9. Ongoing support: Unlike with many high street brands, the service doesn't stop at delivery: Smile kitchens will be available if any issues arise until the final sign-off: customers just need to pick up the phone and their designer will be happy to help with any queries. Smile Kitchens uses a flexible approach and is happy to liaise with any tradespeople or directly with the customer.

10. Enjoy: Payment is only due once the full kitchen is delivered – giving customers the total confidence that Smile Kitchens is here to support them from start to finish and not just until the payment is made.

Kitchens start from £2,100 including worktops, taps and fixtures and fittings. Exclusive of items such as appliances and freestanding furniture (e.g., dining tables and chairs) which can be bought from their brand partners AO.com and Made.com at a discounted price). Where possible, Smile Kitchens will price match like-for-like kitchens to bring the best experience to their customers at the best price. They also offer a referral scheme which means customers can make recommendations to their friends and family and earn a £100 reward for doing so!

www.smilekitchens.co.uk

ENDS

FOR MORE INFORMATION AND HIGH RES IMAGES PLEASE CONTACT:
Emma McSweeney emma@dmcpr.co.uk
India Allen india.allen@dmcpr.co.uk

About Smile Kitchens: Launched in 2020, Smile Kitchens focuses on the design above all else. With a Trustpilot Excellent rating and hundreds of happy customers, their ethos of no commission, full transparency on pricing, and one consistent, experienced contact for your project puts the consumer front and centre of the kitchen design process. As an exclusively virtual company, Smile Kitchens pairs you with your own personal designer who becomes a single point of contact for all planning and discussions. For more information on their beautiful collections, seamless process, and transparent pricing visit https://smilekitchens.com/ or call 0161 509 1010.