Trusted Staircases – The Furniture Ombudsman

We have been performing staircase refurbishments since 1996, helping homeowners across the length and breadth of the UK to revitalise their home by updating and refreshing existing staircases or by providing a completely brand new flight.
Glass balustrades continue to be a popular staircase choice for many of our customers. Where glass is not embedded into the rails, it is secured into place with metal clamps. These clamps (or brackets) come in several standard designs (see below) though others may be available upon request. Abbott-Wade’s standard brackets include stainless steel in a polished chrome effect or brushed steel which are popular for many modern homes. A brass option is also available. Our clamps also come in two popular styles; a rounded D-shape and a square edged bracket specifically designed for the 10mm toughened glass we use as standard. The style and finish choosen is entirely up to each customer. Many customers choose to match these with their existing door furniture and other fixings around the home to give a sense of continuity and cohesion.
One of the problems with offering a Nationwide service is that our design team members spend a lot of time travelling up and down the country so it can be difficult to all sit down together – but it’s important that we do. It’s an opportunity to discuss new ideas, collect feedback about what our customers have looking for and to debate current and future trends to ensure that we’re always putting our customers needs first.
This must happen in businesses up and down the country – but it’s unusual that the key players is the directors mother. Jean Wade stole the show with her cheese cake to rival anything you’d find in the final of The Great British Bake Off. In a true family business tradition which you’ll never find in the board rooms of big businesses – proud mum Jean was on hand with cakes, sandwiches and cups of tea for the appreciative team. For a design team who have backgrounds working for some big corporations, it epitomises what working for a family business means; all the family rallying around to do the best we can for each other and the common cause. Something which has drawn them away from careers working with big corporations and into our close-knit family business. Working in this way is a welcome and refreshing change for many employed at Abbott-Wade, however for the family members working here – it’s just another day at the office!
Whatever it is you’re buying, chances are you’ll be shopping around to get the best price you can. But what do you actually get for your money? It’s important to be clear on what you are buying. Will there be any hidden charges for designs or surveys? Will you have any work to do after the installation is finished? Continue reading…
“The hall stairs and landing will be worthy of inclusion in Country Life magazine!”
There are many types of staircase, in all shapes and sizes. Open tread staircases are a great way to add an open feeling to a living area. However, even an open tread staircase can need a bit of TLC eventually and Abbott-Wade were the obvious choice for Mr & Mrs Dowlman in Lincolnshire who wanted to replace old ranch rails to create a bright glass staircase. As other work in the home progressed, the completed staircase provided the vision and drive to ensure the rest of the project was completed to the same standard:
“Needless to say we are delighted with our revamped staircase. At the moment it is a beacon of delight in a sea of disorganisation!”
This a tale of disappointment turning to delight and involves a lovely lady from Buckinghamshire. After paying her deposit to another leading staircase company following their sales visit, Mrs Paxton was disappointed when her deposit was returned and she was told that they would being unable to complete her installation. She would only become a happy customer once she had contacted Abbott-Wade.
“We chose glass and it looks fantastic!”
Mr Thorneycroft-Smith was delighted with his new oak & glass staircase with white apron – it’s not surprising really when you look at the photographs he sent us. It looks superb! Continue reading…
Located in the idyllic Cumbrian countryside in her beautifully converted barn, Mrs Thompson invested time and effort choosing the right company to complete her staircase refurbishment.
“Stunning! Everyone who visits loves it and we are delighted.”
Every staircase has a story and from time to time customers share their staircase stories with us. Mr & Mrs Avery are two such customers, a shortened version of their story can be found in our casestudies but details of their full journey could better help you to imagine how the process could work for you. They’ll take you from their first steps of shopping around, the design and installation process, right through to the completed project.
“Hopefully, the text is not too long but we were keen to express just how delighted we were with the whole experience.” – Mr Avery